Unexpected Help
by Dream Keeper
Summary: Not a lot I can say without giving away the plot.... But a mysterious kid shows up and warns the g-boys that Relena is being targeted by an assasin and it all snowballs together from there.... Okay, when you read it you'll get the picture.
1. Surprising Events

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Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them. Um…. Anything else?  
  
Christa: Sheesh, are you forgetting already? You're really pathetic. Any characters you haven't heard of are ours. The plot is ours too. And we're recognizing GW Dark Chyld for one of the ideas in here. (Can't tell you what it is though.) Its not ours, it belongs to that respectable writer. The one I muse for could never come up with such an ingenious idea.  
  
Dream Maker: *ready to strangle her muse* Christa….. I could have come up with that if I had to… *trying to restrain herself still* Don't make me say it again. And I am not pathetic!  
  
Christa: Whatever. But please enjoy the fic and don't mind us bickering…. She can't get rid of me and I'm kinda stuck with the pathetic writer so, it's just normal for us to do that. Okay, on with the fic.  
  
Dream Maker: *in the background* CHRISTA!!!!!!!!!!  
  
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It had been a long day for all the g-boys and they were all relaxing at Quatre's mansion. Quatre and Relena had been invited to a very important meeting having to do with the co-existence of earth and the colonies. Heero, as always, was right next to her as a silent, but very intimidating bodyguard. Wufei had been heading the Preventers security force. Duo had showed up at Quatre's house afterwards to deliver a package and the circus was in town so Trowa had turned up on the doorstep.  
  
"Quatre, do you think these talks are ever going to stop? We have had peace for four years now."  
  
"I'm really not sure Duo. Whenever I think our work is done something else pops up and we're right back where we started again. I'm really at a loss of what to do anymore. I can't help more than I already am."  
  
"That's understandable, and I agree with you," Trowa said.  
  
"That reminds me!" Quatre's eyes lit up with mischief. "How are you and Relena handling the new addition to your family Heero?"  
  
Heero blushed slightly. He and Relena had gotten married when they were eighteen and they had had a child soon after. "Relena's not exactly happy about loosing sleep but I think our little girl really helps her."  
  
"How so?" Trowa questioned. He didn't know much in the way of kids, nor did he want to, but whenever Heero was open enough to talk they all knew to take advantage of it.  
  
"She's not working as much and she seems to be a lot more here since she was born." He meant here as in Relena had been off in her own little world trying to solve everyone else's problems for them most of the time and not paying attention to anything else.  
  
"Well its good to know Relena is doing better," Wufei said. He'd never seen eye to eye with her but he knew how important she was to the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. (ESUN for short)  
  
"I know. I for one am glad she's not up until all hours with that stupid paperwork anymore. By the way, how's Sally doing?"  
  
Wufei's eyes widened a little but he shrugged his shoulders and said, "She's fine. Why do you ask?"  
  
"That's not what I heard from Relena," Heero said slyly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Wufei rarely got nervous but this was one of those times.  
  
"Don't try to hide it Wufei man. You're terrible when it comes to this kinda stuff. What's up over there?" Duo was having fun playing his favorite game. (Wufei/Heero baiting. ^_^)  
  
Trowa decided to join in the game. "Yeah, I heard she hasn't been doing so well. I heard that she keeps getting sick in the mornings."  
  
Wufei was starting to sweat and his feelings were assaulting Quatre to the point of insanity but it was fun to watch Wufei squirm. It was comical to see how long it would take before he would crack. "There wouldn't happen to be something you want to tell us now is there Wufei?"  
  
"Yeah old buddy old pal, speak up!" Duo chimed in.  
  
"I give up! I give up with you lunatics! Sally's pregnant alright?"  
  
"We just wanted to hear you say it," Heero said in his usual monotone voice. His face was stern but his eyes were dancing as Quatre pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Wufei.  
  
"You're sweating Wufei." He chuckled. All of a sudden there was shouting outside in the hall and a few seconds later the doors burst open as Rachide flew through them and landed on his back. All the g-boys were on their feet in seconds and ready to take on whoever, or whatever, came through the door.  
  
A kid that looked to be around the age of fourteen stepped through the now open doors and into the parlor that they had been relaxing in. The kid looked to be about 5'4", had emerald green eyes, and looked to have black hair but that was hard to tell because of the baseball cap he wore. He had on jeans and baggy shirt with a high collar. He dropped his bag on the floor after he took a few steps into the room.  
  
"Who are you and what business do you have in my house?" Quatre said angrily. The kid looked him over without showing any sign of having any thoughts or feelings whatsoever. Quatre felt a cold shiver go down his spine as his eyes locked with the boy's for a split second and he saw nothing but emptiness where something was missing. Both Heero and Trowa had had the same look when he met them but their eyes had something. Whether it had been fire or determination or something else he didn't know and never would but there had been something there.  
  
Rachide was up by the time that had happened and was charging the kid. The kid didn't even flinch as the 6'2" (I'm guessing) man came hurtling at him. He just sidestepped at the last moment and Rachide went right on by. As he did the kid raised his hand and hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him out instantly.  
  
"Quatre get out of here. He's probably here to kill you!" Heero said as he chanced a glance over at his comrade. Quatre was shaking and frozen in place. "Trowa, get him out of here!" He called as he walked toward the boy like a cat hunting a mouse. The boy watched him as calmly as if they were just having a polite chat as they circled one another. Both were tense but one who knew nothing of fighting wouldn't have been able to detect that.  
  
The air filled with tension and apprehension as the others looked on. Trowa hadn't been able to coax Quatre away from the scene and he wasn't about to pick him up and carry him away so he stayed by his side, ready to interfere with anything at a moments notice.  
  
"You'd better just give up now kid. There's no way you're going to get away with this."  
  
"What makes you think I'm trying to kill Quatre?" The child asked innocently. His voice was as empty as his face and eyes.  
  
"Why else would you be here?" Heero questioned. As the kid thought of an answer and was partially distracted Heero launched himself at the kid. Quicker than anyone could have expected the kid reached out, grabbed Heero's wrist, and threw him to the ground. Then he was on top of him in a flash. Heero had landed with one arm twisted under him. The boy held Heero's other arm pinned to the ground and in his free hand he held a knife next to Heero's face. His knee was pressed up against Heero's throat making it nearly impossible for him to move at all.  
  
"Heero!" Duo cried when he saw the situation his friend had gotten himself into.  
  
"Now," the child said again, "Why do you think I'm here to kill Quatre."  
  
"Enough!" Quatre said, coming to his senses enough to realize blood would be shed if he didn't do something and quick. "Let Heero up. Please, don't hurt him."  
  
"I have no reason to hurt any of you." The child said as he stood, allowing Heero to stand up.  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
"I…." The boy trailed off as he searched for a suitable answer. All the while Heero's eyes never left him. No one had beaten him that easily before. Not only had his ego been deflated to the size of a dime but also his arm was throbbing with pain from where he'd landed on it. It wasn't broken but he'd at least pulled a few major muscles.  
  
As the boy's eyes wondered over the faces of the older men Quatre detected a hint of nervousness and said, "Where are my manners. Let's sit down. Um….." He looked over toward the spot Rachide had fallen. Watching where his eyes traveled, the boy saw what he was looking at and without a word walked over and closed the doors. Then he picked up Rachide, with a lot of help from Heero, and deposited him one of the couches before he sat down on the floor.  
  
"My name is—" Quatre started to say but the boy cut him off.  
  
"Quatre Raberba Winner."  
  
"Right, and these are my friends—" again he was cut off.  
  
"Trowa, Heero, Wufei, and Duo."  
  
"Okay wise guy. Since you know all of our names then what's yours and who are you working for?" Duo said. He didn't like the kid one bit.  
  
"I'm working for no one but myself. My name…." He trailed off again mentally cursing himself. He knew he couldn't tell them his real name.  
  
"Do you have one?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Yes, its Alex." He blurted out.  
  
"Alex? You don't look like an Alex." Duo said skeptically.  
  
'That's because I'm not,' the kid thought as he continued to stay silent.  
  
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Dream Maker: So what do you think of it, for a first chapter?  
  
Christa: Ended rather abruptly didn't it?"  
  
Dream Maker: I had to go to bed and you know it! Besides, it keeps people guessing…. ^_^  
  
Christa: Okay genius, what's the next part?  
  
Dream Maker: Now that would just give everything away…. But I will say that if no one reviews there's not gunna be anymore to this story! I want reviews! It lets me know my writing is loved! I want at least three reviews!  
  
Christa: I've created a monster!  
  
Dream Maker: And could someone tell me how to actually spell Quatre's middle name? I think that's right but my sister, Angel Yuy, says its not….  
  
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	2. More Surprises

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Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada again. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: And this time we hopefully won't end so abruptly.  
  
Dream Maker: This is my muse, Christa. And that was your fault! You wouldn't help me anymore and then I had to go to bed!  
  
Christa: Moan and complain, moan and complain…  
  
Dream Maker: *hits Christa over the head* When I get through with you that's all you'll be able to do!!!!  
  
Christa: EEP! *runs away as quickly as her little mouse legs can carry her*  
  
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"Duo, that's not very nice," Quatre reprimanded his friend.  
  
"Nice? Nice?! You think this kid busting in here uninvited, nearly killing Rachide and then dropping Heero as if it took no more effort than killing a fly is nice? Quatre, wake up and smell the Java! He's here to kill you!"  
  
"That's enough Duo. If he took Heero down that easy he'd have no trouble with the rest of us. If he was here to kill Quatre he'd have done it already," Trowa spoke up. "Besides, Quatre would know if he intended anything…." He trailed off for a moment, looking for the right words. He found them and continued, "He'd know if he intended anything hostile towards any of us. Right Quatre?"  
  
Quatre nodded. He was able to tell who was feeling what anytime he wanted. "That's right Trowa." But in fact they were wrong. Quatre could only feel his friends in the room with him. When he reached out with his mind to see what Alex was feeling he couldn't even find the edges of his mind. It was as if he wasn't even there.  
  
"Are you finished?" the boy inquired after a moment of silence settled over the room.  
  
"Yes, now, will you answer me as to why you're here?"  
  
Alex didn't speak for a moment, then he said, "I've come to ask for your help."  
  
"My help?" Just then Rachide sat bolt upright on the couch and then jumped to his feet, quickly putting himself between Alex and Quatre.  
  
"Master Quatre, get out of here!"  
  
"Rachide, calm down. We're trying to have a polite conversation so sit down." The firmness in Quatre's voice made his sit meekly down on the couch. Quatre didn't show this side of himself to many people but you knew when you had to listen to him and when you didn't.  
  
Rachide got up the nerve and spoke from his seat on the couch saying, "Master Quatre, this boy is dangerous. He got past Abdual and at least five other people without being seen once. Then he bursts into the house demanding to see you. I can't let just anyone in to see you and I tried to stop him but, well you saw what happened!"  
  
"I told you that what I had to say to him couldn't be heard by anyone else and I told you I didn't want to hurt you but I would get in to see him," Alex said calmly.  
  
"Then why did you attack me?"  
  
"You tried to stop me. I didn't hurt you, I just put you to sleep for a short time."  
  
"Rachide, stop arguing. Alex is my guest for now."  
  
"But Master Quatre!"  
  
"Rachide, you're dismissed for now." There was an icy edge to Quatre's voice that none of the young men had ever heard before. Quatre didn't want to hurt Rachide's feelings because he was a loyal friend but when someone called on him because they needed help he wasn't about to ignore that.  
  
Rachide bowed stiffly when he got up and left. When he was gone all eyes in the room turned back to Alex.  
  
"Why do you need my help?" Alex looked from him to the other men sitting in the room. His face was still as blank as ever. "They're trustworthy Alex. If I ask them to they wont say anything to anyone. Nothing will leave this room," Quatre assured him.  
  
"It's not that. I'm trying to figure out how to tell you what needs to be said."  
  
"Take your time," Quatre said, trying to be patient, but his patients for the day was wearing thin after having to deal with all the stuffed shirts he'd had to that day.  
  
"We don't have time for me to worry about tact," Alex said, as if to himself. "Someone's out to kill Relena."  
  
"NANI?!" Heero shouted, reverting to Japanese in his shock.  
  
"Please Heero, don't be alarmed. The assassination attempt isn't until this Friday when the meeting resumes."  
  
"How the hell do you know so much kid?" Duo yelled.  
  
Heero was upon him in an instant. He grabbed Alex by the front of the shirt and dragged him to his feet, shaking him as he shouted, "Tell me everything you know kid. Tell me!" Alex didn't speak. Instead he calmly wretched Heero's hands off him and adjusted his shirt. Trowa and Wufei held Heero back from Alex as he stood there calmly looking at Quatre.  
  
"Can you help me Quatre?"  
  
"How did you learn about this?" Wufei said.  
  
"You Preventers don't know everything. But how I came across the information is irrelevant."  
  
"Not to me its not."  
  
"Then you're going to have to keep on wondering." He locked his eyes with the Preventers for a heated moment until Wufei shuddered and looked away. Alex creeped him out.  
  
"Why didn't you go strait to the Preventers with this information?" Quatre asked him.  
  
"I couldn't. I don't trust them. You were the only one I could turn to."  
  
"What about your parents? Couldn't they have said something?" Trowa asked, trying to think of all the options Alex had.  
  
"I have no parents."  
  
"What?" Quatre knew there were orphans but he never expected that they were so devastated in the homes that they turned out like this. "Then where do you live? What orphanage?"  
  
"Did you live anywhere when you were Gundam pilots? I have no home nor want one. Not now anyway."  
  
Quatre was about to ask more when a man came crashing through the window and emptied the clip in his gun in the time it took to crash in and get out. When Heero looked out the window he'd come though there was no trace of him ever being there besides the broken glass and the bullet holes in the walls.  
  
"What the hell was that about?!" Duo exclaimed. He'd been hit in the shoulder. Alex took one look at him before he walked over and retrieved the sports bag he'd left sitting by the doors. He reached inside and drew out some bandages and a needle and thread. Then he moved in front of Duo and probed the wound with his fingers.  
  
"What's going on in here?!" Rachide shouted as he burst through the doors. He took one look around the room and immediately knew what had taken place.  
  
Alex looked up long enough to acknowledge Rachide before he rummaged though his bag again, and got out a pair of scissors-like claps.  
  
"What are those for? AHH!!!!!!!" He cried as Alex carefully started to extract the bullet that was lodged in his shoulder. It came out with little difficulty but a lot of blood was flowing from Duo's shoulder. Heero had also been grazed by a bullet on the leg. Alex tossed him some cloth dressing to bandage the wound with and then set to work stitching Duo's closed and bandaging it also.  
  
"Where the hell did you learn to do this?" Duo asked.  
  
"You'd be surprised what you learn when you live where I have," He said to Duo, then he turned to face Quatre. "Now do you believe that Relena's going to be assassinated? You all have to get over to where the meeting is being held now. Guard her. Because if she's gone, then the rest of you will suffer miserably at the expense of all your loved ones, no matter how young."  
  
"We'll go as soon as you're done with Duo." Quatre replied absently as he looked around the room at the bullet holes in the walls. He bent down and picked up one of the rounds that had been fired off and saw that the end had shattered. Upon a closer inspection, all but the one's that had hit Duo and Heero had.  
  
"Why would someone try to kill Quatre after all he's done?" Trowa asked.  
  
"They weren't after Quatre," Alex said. "They were after me."  
  
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Dream Maker: Sorry it ended so abruptly again but I didn't know how to finish it and I have reviewers breathing down the back of my neck…  
  
Christa: You at that right! *nervously looks over shoulder* Can we get this posted so they wont kill us?  
  
Dream Maker: I think that's a good idea… Again, please read and review…..  
  
Christa: No yelling… and we need three reviews at least before the next chapter is posted for any fics…. 


	3. Murder?

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Dream Maker: I do not own Gundam Wing…*Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The wonderful g-boys and girls all belong to their respectable owners.  
  
Christa: We only own the plot and any characters you've never heard of. Did we leave anything out?  
  
Dream Maker: Yeah! Thanx to all those that reviewed! *glomps* I feel so special!  
  
Christa: *whispers* You mean she feels somewhat less pathetic!  
  
Dream Maker: *hits her over the head with a pillow* Do not! Okay, maybe I do, but I got nine reviews on the bloopers just on the first day so there! *sticks out her tongue*  
  
Christa: Don't you mean we?  
  
Dream Maker: Okay, we…… Anyway, hope you enjoyed the last chapter… Please don't be mad at me for the cliff hanger…. I couldn't help myself!  
  
Christa: Gave it kinda a nice touch though, didn't it?  
  
Dream Maker: Yeah, but lets get on with the fic!  
  
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"What the hell do you mean they were after you?!" Duo cried, then grimaced as Alex pulled the bandage tighter around his wound.  
  
"Never mind. We've wasted enough time already. We need to get over to that meeting a.s.a.p."  
  
"What do you mean we?" Heero said coldly.  
  
"You think I'm going to leave you on your own? You wouldn't even have known that the meeting was bumped up if it wasn't for me."  
  
"How do we know someone isn't just getting us to trust you so you can off us one night while we're sleeping?" Heero accused him.  
  
"Heero, quit being an ass and get back into your um…. Nicer clothes so we can go? I mean……" He looked over at Quatre. "I am being aloud to go with you in your car, right?"  
  
"Yes. I see no reason why not." Quatre said absently. He was trying to puzzle out what Alex had meant. "But I do want you to explain why they were after you on the way."  
  
"Fine with me, I guess." Alex said doubtfully. 'Great, another thing I have to lie about…. Or maybe not….' He thought. 'I can just give them part of the truth.'  
  
~*~  
  
A few minutes later they were all in Quatre's limmo and were headed to the meeting. Everyone in the car was quiet as the car came closer and closer to the mansion that someone was hosting the conference at. Everyone was waiting for Alex to speak. Finally Quatre couldn't stand the heavy silence any longer and said, "Why was that man after you?"  
  
Alex thought a moment before saying, "He wanted me out of the picture so that no more "official" information would leak out of a specific organization. Offing any of you would just be a bonus for the man behind it all. But I'm only second best. Relena's the real prize."  
  
"How do you know all this?!" Heero yelled, loosing his temper again.  
  
"That's none of your business Heero. The only business of yours that concerns me is keeping your wife alive. Understand? Other than that I have no reason to be in contact with you."  
  
"Okay, lets calm down, both of you." Quatre said, playing peacemaker as always. "How about you tell us your last name?"  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Okay, how about when you were born?" Trowa chimed in.  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"How about how old you are?" Quatre asked, getting slightly annoyed at the boys rude manners toward them.  
  
"Fifteen."  
  
"If you wouldn't tell us when you were born, how come you told us how old you are?" Duo asked, slightly amused that he'd found a way to make the kid look like a fool.  
  
"None of your business." Was Alex's cool reply. When no one said anything for a few more minutes he closed his eyes and rested his head against the glass of the window. A few seconds later his head jerked up and he said quietly, "The attempt on Relena's life isn't going to be until after the official matters are settled and we're out in the ballroom milling around. That's when its going to happen."  
  
"What the heck?" Duo muttered under his breath. All eyes in the car traveled to Heero, who was obviously using all his willpower not to jump across the car and strangle the teenager sitting across from him.  
  
In a low, and very deadly voice Heero hissed, "Why didn't you feel inclined to tell us this information before now?"  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"I swear if you say that one more time, I am going to tare your throat out!"  
  
"That doesn't matter Heero. I've told you all I know. Now either be happy with it, or you can go poking around during the conference and, if that's when they choose to strike, you can be the one to blame for her death. I'm sure you don't want her precious blood on your hands, now do you? Oh, we're here." He said as the car came to a halt and a butler opened the door, which he promptly stepped out of. He was still wearing his normal street clothes and stood out like a thistle on a rosebush. But the men looked away from him for a moment when they got out of the car, and when they looked up he was gone.  
  
"Where in the world did he get off to?" Wufei wondered.  
  
~*~  
  
The meeting went as planned. There were a good many apologies about having to bring them all back on such short notice but something had come up, and by the end of half an hour the peace talks were over. Then everyone was milling around in the ballroom that was on the ground floor of the mansion. Many people were up on the balconies that overlooked the vast room. It was so packed that the g-boys didn't know exactly where to look for a threat. But Heero stuck to Relena like glue throughout the whole thing.  
  
"Heero, will you go get me some punch?" Relena asked sweetly, slightly annoyed that Heero had frightened off the last person she had been talking to.  
  
"Relena, I'm not leaving you alone today."  
  
"Heero, did you…. Is there…." Her eyes swept the room and back to Heero. He only nodded curtly. A little of Relena's color drained at the thought of another possible assassination attempt but she kept her calm. "Should we leave?"  
  
"No, it'd give them a more obvious target. Here they may not get a good shot at you."  
  
"Ah, Vice Foreign Minister. You're looking well." Someone said, coming up behind the couple. Heero turned and beside him stood his least favorite of the committee personnel. Brad Rajda was one of the biggest, most crooked, greasy sleezbags there was.  
  
"Brad, how lovely to see you." Relena said, just as a butler walked up.  
  
"May I offer you fine people some refreshments?" He said, holding a try laden with drinks towards them.  
  
"Thank you." Brad said, taking two and handing one to Relena. Heero took one also and almost dropped it when he fully noticed who stood there. Alex took advantage of his agitation and glanced from Heero, to Brad and back. Heero nodded to him and turned back to the conversation at hand. He understood Alex's message perfectly. Alex left as silently as he'd come.  
  
"You do realize another war is brewing, don't you, Vice Foreign Minister?"  
  
"No, I wasn't aware. But I don't think so brad. We mustn't run around crying the sky is falling when its only a drop of rain after all."  
  
"Yes, but a war is coming, I assure you Relena. This time I don't think Earth should fight. But maybe we'd get more places if we did everything musically, since that seems to be what you earth bound folk do."  
  
(BTW, I don't own these lines either. I stole them from the Sound of Music. That belongs to its respectable owner also.)  
  
"Yes, and I'm sure you'll be the whole trumpet section, wont you brad?"  
  
"I'm flattered that you think so Heero."  
  
"Oh, how clumsy of me. I meant to accuse you."  
  
Brad looked flustered for a moment before he said with forced kindness, "Good day to you sir." And turned on his heel and walked off. As he did he looked up at one of the balconies and gave a slight nod. Not one that could really be seen unless you were looking for it.  
  
Heero didn't move his head, but he glanced up toward the balcony and saw nothing. Frowning slightly he lead a startled Relena in the other direction.  
  
"Heero, what has gotten into you? He's going to be even more difficult to talk to during these stupid conferences now."  
  
"I'm sorry Relena, but he was getting on my nerves."  
  
***  
  
"How goes it Trowa? Have you spotted him yet?" Alex asked as he approached Trowa, who was leaning against an ornately decorated pillar.  
  
"Probably as many times as you have. But he seems to know when I see him and he moves on before I get there." He said flatly.  
  
"I know. It's starting to get on my nerves."  
  
"You really have some?"  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"Not many people will talk to Heero that way. Stay out of his way."  
  
"I'll try to heed that advice."  
  
"Good. Get outta here before you get to looking suspicious."  
  
Alex moved off though the crowd and was soon out of Trowa's sight.  
  
~*~  
  
"Do you need a drink sir?"  
  
"No, I'm on the job man, can't you see that?" Wufei said irritably as he scanned the crowd.  
  
"Then you'd better look for your man harder or he'll get right past you and to Relena you fool."  
  
"What in blazes name!" Wufei hissed as he finally caught sight of Alex.  
  
"Keep a better eye out. I can't get close to the man and I don't know what he looks like but I've seen him. He's here already." He said as he silently moved away to inform someone else." He found Duo first.  
  
"What are you doing stuffing you face you imbecile? Did you forget the reason you're here?"  
  
"What?" Duo tried to say though a mouth full of food.  
  
"You're not going to be much help at all! The assassin is already here and even Wufei hasn't spotted him and you're not helping matters any."  
  
"Sorry. I'll try harder your lordship." Duo growled as Alex looked on blankly. Then Alex's eyes widened a little as he looked at him. No, not at him, past him he realized. Duo turned to look as Alex dropped the tray he had in his hands and ran past him, strait at the man with a gun trained right on Relena.  
  
***  
  
Heero heard the commotion before he saw it. A butler had dropped a try of drinks and had rammed past a few very important guests trying to get someplace. 'So they've found the assassin at last and he was running from one of the Preventers' Heero thought. But when he turned around he saw Alex charging at a man with a gun trained at Relena.  
  
Heero didn't think. He just grabbed Relena and pushed her behind him when he saw that. Just then the assassin pulled the trigger and Heero knew he was going to die. But then he heard a thud and a muffled groan as someone else caught the bullet and fell to the floor. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Dream Maker: Ha Ha! I'm leaving you off there. Makes it more fun that way!  
  
Christa: Don't worry, or should you? *Snickers evilly*  
  
Dream Maker: Please read and reviews it and tell me what you think. Three reviews in the first 24 hours this chapter is up and I'll put out 2 chapters next time!  
  
Christa: And they'll be very good! Believe me!  
  
Dream Maker: But you do have to review 3 times to get every chapter after those. Same rule applies to all fics. Okay, bye! *Both her and Christa dodge angry readers who want to know what happens next!  
  
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	4. Sad Goodbyes

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Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: At least we hope so!  
  
Dream Maker: So without further ado because people are probably going to start chucking sharp, pointy objects at us soon, we give you the fic.  
  
Christa: AIM AT HER! NOT ME! I'M JUST A POOR LITTLE INNOCENT MUSE!!!!!!!!  
  
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Heero opened his eyes slowly to see everyone fleeing from the building. All the Preventers were rushing madly up to the balcony. But Heero knew the assassin was already gone.  
  
"Relena?!" Heero said with concern as he turned around.  
  
"I'm fine Heero, just a little shaken. That's all. I'm fine." she said, as if trying to reassure herself as well as him.  
  
"Duo! Get your useless butt down here man!"  
  
Duo's head appeared over the railing and he shook his head, beckoning for Heero to come up to look at something.  
  
"Relena, Pagen will be waiting out in the car. I want you to go to Quatre's house and stay there. Keep out of sight, away from windows and that sort of thing. And don't go to sleep in case someone tries to get you with some kind of gas or something." Heero said as he steered her towards the door and helped her into the car.  
  
"I will Heero. Please be careful." Relena kissed him, got in the car, and with the roar of the engine was taken from his protection.  
  
"Be safe beloved." Heero whispered as she drove out of sight. Then Heero turned and quickly went back inside. As he bounded up the stairs two at a time some Preventers passed him, helping Brad down the stairs as he nursed a shot wound in his arm. Heero thought about thanking him but decided otherwise. It wasn't worth the trouble.  
  
"Heero, what took you so long?" Duo said as he looked up from the person lying on the floor.  
  
"I had to get Relena out of here."  
  
"Heero, is she alright?!" Quatre said in alarm.  
  
"She's fine. But Quatre, you on the other hand are still in danger. Get out of here now."  
  
"I cant leave Heero."  
  
"Why cant you?" Quatre gestured to the person lying on the floor. When Heero took a closer look he discovered that the person was a child.  
  
"Alex?!" He said in surprise.  
  
"Hey Heero." He said as a little blood trickled from the side of his mouth. He tried to laugh but winced as pain ran through his body. His lifeblood ran out of his body slowly from a wound in his side.  
  
"Is he going to die?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Who cares? Its one less assassin off the street." A nearby Preventer said casually. Wufei decked him a good one and the Preventer looked up at him from the floor.  
  
"This child just saved Vice Foreign Minister Darlin's life you fool. Treat him with respect. He's no assassin." The Preventer looked skeptical but he didn't say a word.  
  
"I wouldn't care but he did save my wife's life. Is he going to live?"  
  
"Sure Heero, I'll live. I'm just a little tired right now." Alex said sarcastically as he closed his eyes and lay his head down on the floor.  
  
"Hey man, stay with us." Duo pleaded. Alex opened his eyes and looked at Duo.  
  
"Its not as bad as it seems. I don't even feel it."  
  
"Alex, you cant die man." Duo said more forcefully, as if his command could make him hand on longer. Alex just looked at him. Then he began to cough and blood spurted from his mouth onto the Gundam pilots who were all kneeling around him.  
  
"Man, all of you just go home. Forget about me. Shoo, get out of here." He said as he tried again to laugh. "I'll be fine." But when none of them made a move to go he got angry. "Get out of here! Now!"  
  
"You're not going to die alone Alex. I know how it feels and its not fun."  
  
"But I am alone Trowa. Not matter who's near me, I'm always alone. Now go, all of you. Get out of here." This time Heero obeyed and he drug Quatre with him. Trowa and Duo followed reluctantly. Wufei stayed behind, making sure that someone was there with him.  
  
Alex nodded approvingly as four of the five pilots walked away. "Now you Wufei."  
  
"No." He replied to the dying youth. He couldn't help the tears that trickled down his face. To die so young and so bravely was honorable. But to die like he was? Masking the pain behind jokes and sarcasm. That he couldn't comprehend.  
  
Alex's face grew hard as stone and he violently shoved Wufei away from him. Then he drew something from his pocket and threw it onto the floor. It burst open and engulfed him in a cloud of smoke, and when it disappeared Alex was gone.  
  
Pending an investigation no explanation could be found to the disappearance of the child, nor could the killer be found. It was assumed that the killer escaped and the child died fleeing from the scene of the attempted murder. None of the pilots could think of a better theory so they accepted it. But every day they all took time to thank whoever sent Alex to them. Quatre though, kept his things in storage instead of getting rid of them, in case they were ever needed again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dream Maker: So, how do you like it?  
  
Christa: *checks over her shoulder for mad fans.* I don't think we can just leave them there.  
  
Dream Maker: Duh dimwit. There's more to come! He he!!! Are you stumped yet? Or do any of you have any theories? Please post them! But more will come soon.  
  
Christa: Sorry about how short it was though. Couldn't think of anything else… *skeptical look from Dream Maker* Hey! Even muses have bad days you know!  
  
Dream Maker: Hey, if you have any q's please email me @ meka_of_yume@hotmail.com  
  
Christa: Yeah, we love hearing from fans! But please do tell us your asking about a fic or your e-mail will be deleted. Okay, chow!  
  
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	5. Old Friend, New Secrets

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Dream Maker: Okay folks, standard yadda. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The wonderful g-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear, when I through with them. And please don't sue….. *turns pockets inside out* We're poor broke folk!  
  
Christa: well, don't feel like fighting with the pathetic writer right now so lets get to the story.  
  
Dream Maker: Pathetic writer? Its humble writer you dim witted muse!  
  
Christa: Just for that I'll make you humble you dinglehopper!  
  
Dream Maker: Just try it you puny rat!  
  
Christa: Rat?! Rat?!?!?!?!?!?!?! *charges and fights with Dream Maker unmercilesly* (who wins? Wait and find out!)  
  
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~ Six Years Later ~  
  
The g-boys and girls were sitting quietly in Quatre's house on L-4. It wasn't anything special, just a little get together for new years. A cheery fire was burning in the hearth as the wind whipped outside and the rain came down in sheets.  
  
"Wow, its already been ten years since the war ended. That's scary. It seems like much less time." Duo said as he looked outside into the pouring rain.  
  
"I know how you feel Duo. I was just remarking on that to Relena the other day. Hey, Kira, don't touch that!" Quatre called as Heero and Relena's four year old daughter crawled toward the fire grating. Trowa leapt up and scooped her up into his arms out of harms way.  
  
"Now why don't you just come sit with Uncle Trowa for a while munchkin?" he said as he tickled her and she erupted with giggles.  
  
"Uncle Quatre! Uncle Quatre, I'm tired now." Maya said as she tugged on Quatre's sleeve. Quatre smiled down at her and picked her up.  
  
"Then lets go put you to bed shall we?"  
  
"I want mommy to ready me a story." She said as she yawned. Sally got up with a tired sigh and took her daughter from Quatre and into one of the back rooms to sleep.  
  
"I think that's a good idea for all of them. Duo said as he and Hilde both grabbed one of their twins that were fighting on the ground. "Mat, Danny, you know better." He scolded.  
  
"What do you want to bet that their expecting us to heard them off to bed so they can swap manly stories?" Noin whispered to Relena who tried to stifle giggle with her hand.  
  
"Well then we'd better hurry up. If they stay up too much later they'll sleep late and then we'll never get them to sleep tomorrow!"  
  
"Come on you rascals! Time for bed!" Hilde called as she carried two of her three into the back bedroom. Another six were herded behind her by their mothers.  
  
"Okay, now what?" Quatre asked as he looked around the room. No one seemed to know what to do because they didn't now where to start with a conversation.  
  
"What the blazes?" Duo said as he stood from his chair by the window. He peered intently outside. Then he shook his head and sat back down.  
  
"What's the matter Duo?" Trowa asked as he glanced outside. He didn't see anything but then again, he couldn't see more than ten feet out into the storm.  
  
"Nothing. Well actually, this is going to sound stupid, but I could have sworn I saw a ghost." He said as he laughed nervously. Then there was a quiet knock at the door and the color drained a bit from his face. Quatre got up and went to answer it.  
  
"Hello? May I help you?" He asked the figure who stood in the doorway. The figure stepped into the light and raised its face to him. Quatre took a step back in shock before he could choke out, "ALEX?!" Immediately five others were on their feet and at the door.  
  
"Who is he?" Zechs asked as he was brought inside.  
  
"He's the kid who died saving Relena six years ago!" Wufei said. Everyone was shocked.  
  
"What's going on in here?" the girls asked as they re-entered the room. The caught sight of Alex and stood still.  
  
"Where'd he come from?" Relena asked. Sally hurried off and returned with a fluffy town to dry the boy off. She moved closer to him to dry him but he took a step backward and looked wildly around, as if looking for an escape. Sally was baffled but she held the towel out to him and he took it.  
  
"Thank you." He said quietly.  
  
"What…. How…. When…. Why…….. where……" Quatre stuttered as he tried to come to grips with reality.  
  
"I'm not a ghost Quatre, you have no need to worry about that."  
  
"Where have you been all this time?" Wufei asked perplexed.  
  
"Again I must tell you that that is irrelevant. Quatre, do you still have my things?"  
  
"Well, yes. I couldn't seem to get rid of them."  
  
"Good, that's what I'd hoped for. May I please have them so I can change?"  
  
"Yeah, follow me." Quatre left with Alex following him. They reappeared a few minutes later. Alex had changed into dry clothes and looked more comfortable. But his wet hat dripped water every once in a while. Trowa took his coat from him and hung it by the fire to dry.  
  
"Why are you here?" Heero asked flat out.  
  
"You really have no tact for polite conversation before business do you Heero?" he said sarcastically.  
  
"Not when it comes to you."  
  
"I didn't expect that to change."  
  
"Okay, hold it. What exactly is going on here?" Relena said.  
  
"They never told you Relena?" Alex asked.  
  
"Told me what? Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Alex. But maybe it would be better if they left?" He looked to Quatre as he indicated the women in the room. "They can be filled in later. I don't want any distractions about when I say what I need to."  
  
"More bad news?" Wufei asked half sarcastically, half fearfully.  
  
"Trouble follows me wherever I go. Its something I cant escape."  
  
"Okay, no one is throwing us out of here until we get some answers." Hilde said.  
  
"You need to leave. Women get to hysterical." Alex said calmly.  
  
"Just watch who you're talking about boy." Heero warned. "But you do need to leave. If its anything like last time we met, I don't want you here."  
  
"Heero, why?" Relena asked.  
  
"Because I'm afraid of what he as to say. Think of him as a messenger of death." All the girls quickly vacated the room when even Heero admitted he was scared.  
  
"Now that that's over." Alex said. He was about to say something when Wufei cut him off.  
  
"You haven't changed one bit."  
  
"You expected my attitude to?"  
  
"No, I mean you haven't gotten any older, or taller, or anything. You're exactly the same as you were last time we saw you."  
  
"And you all are older, I know. How much time has passed?"  
  
"Six years."  
  
"Six? Oh god, I hadn't realized……." His voice faded away with the thought.  
  
"How is this possible for you?" Trowa said. He was in as much shock as everyone else.  
  
But Duo recovered first. "I bet he's an alien and he's here to suck our brains!" he joked.  
  
"As good a guess as and Un--….. Duo. But no, I guess I should tell you that nothing is going to be the same since I'm here. So if you want it to stay the way it is, tell me now and I'll leave."  
  
"Let me guess," Heero said. "There's a catch to this."  
  
"If I leave you will all die, one by one. Your families will be slaughtered and all you know will become meaningless. But if I stay, people may die that you want alive. That is the price for the knowledge I have. The lives of some friends are the payment for the lives of your families."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Quatre asked for he, like everyone else in the room, had no doubt whatsoever in his mind that Alex wasn't joking.  
  
"Again, I must leave you with no answer, though I'm sure you will piece the puzzle together soon."  
  
"If we guess right at how you know, will you tell us?"  
  
"Yes, I will agree to that."  
  
"When will the next attempt be?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Yes, and on who?" Wufei chimed in.  
  
"It will be at six o'clock tomorrow. The target will be…." He closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them. Everyone held their breath praying it wasn't them. Then he looked strait at Duo. "Hilde Maxwell." Duo closed his eyes for a moment. When he re-opened them his eyes were blazing. "Duo, you haven't lost her yet. As long as we're with her, she will live. I promise you that."  
  
"How can you know? Huh? Do you even know what this feels like, being helpless like this when you've always been able to fight?!"  
  
"Duo, I lost my mother nearly five years after I was borne. My father was so caught up in his grief that he started drinking and he drank away all the money we had. I ended up taking care of him and my older sister because neither of them could accept that she was gone. At sixteen my sister was a drug attic and one night when she was buying she was raped and she put a bullet in her brain. My father continued drinking, even more heavily than usual and eventually he pickled his liver and since we had to cover hospital expenses we lost our house so we lived on the street where he kept getting sick. My father got in a bar fight one night and got thrown in jail. When I bailed him out with what little money was left he got himself thrown right back in the same way. I had to leave him there for a week and when I got him out he was killed when we were on the way home in a drive by shooting. Now, tell me how helpless really feels. You have a chance to stop it all, I didn't."  
  
Everyone stared at him in stunned silence. Duo just nodded. Alex looked down at his hands. "Look, I'm sorry for bursting out and complaining like that but I want you to know that I know how it feels." He got up and walked towards the door. " I'll be back tomorrow."  
  
"Where are you going?" Heero asked. "I want to know where to find you if your calculations prove to be wrong."  
  
"I don't know. Probably on the street. Really couldn't tell you."  
  
"Then stay here with us." Quatre said quietly. "There's not a bed for you to sleep in, but there's some blankets and the floor. It'd be a heck of a lot warmer than out there."  
  
"You're sure?" He asked as if no one ever paid him kindness.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're doing us all a great favor, even if we're still curious as to where you get your information." Wufei said.  
  
"It's the least we could do." Duo chimed in. Trowa nodded. Heero sat impassive in a chair. It was plain to see that he didn't want him there. Duo stood up and walked over to the kid and whispered something in his ear. Alex tried to keep a smile off his face but he couldn't.  
  
"Okay, I accept. Good, come back over by the fire with us." He placed a hand on the kids side to guide him over to a chair but Alex let out a yelp and dropped to his knees clutching lightly at his side. Duo looked downright scared as he stood there.  
  
Alex looked up and tried to smile through the pain masking his face. "I'll be fine Duo. Really I will." Duo looked at his hand and saw blood.  
  
"What in the world?"  
  
Zechs stood up and moved to help the kid up (yes, he's been silent all this time but he's just been listening.) but Alex moved away from him and stood on his own. "How'd this happen?" Zechs asked. He knew that not even Heero could mask his pain that well.  
  
"I got shot."  
  
"By who?"  
  
"How should I know? You people couldn't even catch him." he muttered then immediately regretted it.  
  
"When were you shot?" Wufei asked.  
  
Alex hesitated but he said, "Six years ago."  
  
"How could the wound not have healed? And why were you shot?" Zechs asked, completely bewildered.  
  
"Because. You're time has no affect on me. I got shot protecting your sister, Zechs. I'm not from your time." He grimaced as he sat down and his side touched the back of the chair. "I bring you this information from the future."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dream Maker: Okay, how do you like?  
  
Christa: This is two in one day. We've given up on the reviewers. They never review…. *sniffs*  
  
Dream Maker: But here it is, I'm going to say read and review even though I know that no one will pay attention to it. Hey, Lady Star? You can review more than once…….. PLEAZE DO!!!!!! I need to now if something is bad!  
  
Christa: oh, and, I won the fight!  
  
Dream Maker: Did not! I did!  
  
Christa: not so  
  
Dream Maker: is to! (as you can see the fight continues.)  
  
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	6. Mysteries

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Dream Maker: Okay folks, standard yadda. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The wonderful g-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear, when I through with them. And please don't sue….. *turns pockets inside out* We're poor broke folk!  
  
Christa: Okay, sorry there was no disclaimer or exclaimer last time…. We were both kinda tired and cranky and just wanted to get it posted so we could sleep….  
  
Dream Maker: Not like I did us much good since we don't sleep! But hey, that's beside the point…….. Anyway, I still want to know if anyone has any ideas as to what Alex is! *evil grin*  
  
Christa: *evil laugh* Cant wait until we give you all the clues and you put the pieces all together…….  
  
Dream Maker: Anyway, this crazed muse and I will get on with the fic. Oh, and btw, we'll be posting a new fic entitled something like Tragic Blessings……. Sound good? Hope it is…….  
  
Christa: Well, read AND review please!  
  
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"What?!" Everyone exclaimed, forgetting to keep their voices down.  
  
"What the heck do you mean you're from the future?" Duo hissed at Alex as he remembered the children and the women in the rooms down the hall.  
  
"Just what I said. But I don't want to answer any more questions tonight. I'm tired. Call your wives back in and celebrate New Years."  
  
"What about you?" Heero asked suspiciously.  
  
"I'm going to sleep. I told you all six years ago that I would be fine, not that you cared Heero. But I'm still recovering so I need to sleep. Is that an okay answer for you?"  
  
"How could you survive a gunshot wound like that Alex? Its impossible. It had to have hit at least one internal organ and…"  
  
"Quatre, though its been six years here for you, its been exactly two days for me. I went back to the future and the person who's helping me patched me up. We have, how should I say it, much superior technology than you?"  
  
Quatre nodded an affirmative but it was a forced one. He wanted to know so much more. But he rose from his chair and beckoned Alex to follow him again. After he retrieved the blankets, he poked his head in and told the girls their presence was requested. Then he went back down the hall with a cloudy eyed Alex following him.  
  
"Where do you want me to sleep?" Alex said when Quatre turned and handed him the blankets.  
  
"Anywhere. In front of the fire would be the warmest place since you're shivering."  
  
"Yeah, it was cold out there." Alex said numbly as the laid down in front of the fire and pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head and removed his hat. Then he covered himself with a blanket and used his arm for a pillow.  
  
The girls came back into the room and there was quiet talking that he tried to listen to as his eyes grew heavier. But the sound of their quiet voices lulled him into a trance and just as the clock on the wall struck midnight and the adults opened a bottle of Champaign quietly saying Happy New Year to each other he drifted off to sleep. The last thing he remembered was himself sighing in content and whispering, "Happy new year."  
  
(Day One)  
  
The next morning Alex woke to the sounds of people cooking in the kitchen and adults enjoying their morning coffee as they kept an eye on their children. It took him a moment to realize that what had woken him up was Heero's little girl Kira had tumbled over him.  
  
"Morning Alex." Quatre called from the kitchen as he flipped a pancake in the air. It landed back in the pan with a small thud.  
  
"Morning." Alex called back groggily as he sat up rubbing his eyes. Making sure not to step on any kids in the process he stood up, stretched, and looked around. Just as his eyes were getting use to the light someone drew open the curtains and the blinding light of morning came streaming into the room. He squinted against it before he gave up and put his, now dry, hat back on to shade his eyes.  
  
"Oh, sorry kid. I didn't even think about you when I opened the curtains." Hilde said sheepishly to him.  
  
"Huh? Oh, that's okay. I didn't need to sleep any later anyway. What time is it?"  
  
"Um, about seven thirty." Zechs said over his cup of coffee.  
  
"Seven thirty. Figures." Alex said as he walked off towards the bathroom after he retrieved his stuff from a closet in the hall. He locked himself in the bathroom and when he emerged a few minutes later, he was wearing fresh clothes and a happier look on his face.  
  
"Alex, Wufei told me last night that, um, you were hurt. Would you mind too terribly much if I took a look at it?" Sally asked tentatively.  
  
"I already took care of the bandages this morning Sally. Besides, its just a scratch." He lied.  
  
"Just a scratch my foot." Zechs muttered under his breath.  
  
"So, want some pancakes this morning Alex?" Quatre asked as he plopped another one on the plate beside him and brought it over to the table. Duo took about half of them and the others dug in at their leisure.  
  
"I don't think so Quatre."  
  
"Not hungry?"  
  
"No, just tired. Where do you keep the cups?"  
  
"Top right hand cabinet. Do you want coffee?"  
  
"Coffee?" Alex's face stayed the same but he looked a little less tired. "May I?"  
  
"Sure, help yourself." Quatre said as he gestured to the pot sitting next to the stove. (pot of coffee folks! Not anything else!) Alex proceeded to get himself a full cup of coffee and sat down at the table. When he thought no one was watching he popped a pill in his mouth and took a healthy swig of it.  
  
'What was that,' Trowa thought to himself. He decided to confront him about it later.  
  
"Sure you don't want any pancakes Alex? Last chance." Quatre warned.  
  
"I'm sure. You people go ahead." He assured them.  
  
"Okay!" Duo said, having no quip whatsoever about more food.  
  
~*~  
  
A few hours later everyone was sitting in the living room watching TV. Alex tried to pay attention to what was going on in the movie but his eyes seemed to have lead weights attached to their lids and they wouldn't stay open. He was just about to fall asleep when a shrill squeal was omitted from one of the children.  
  
Alex's eyes flew open and he ran across the room, scooped Kira up in his arms, and rushed her over to the sink in the kitchen to run water over her burned hands. He held the sobbing child's hand under the running water for a moment or two before he shut the water off and set her on the cabinet.  
  
Turning to where an allow plant was he broke off one of the limbs and rubbed the gel-like insides over her hand. Then he picked her up and cradled her against his chest and made shushing sounds as he rubbed her back. Relena ran into the kitchen just as her sobs were subsiding. What the heck happened here?!" she cried as she reached for her child. Kira saw her mother and clutched at Alex like he was a lifeline.  
  
A hurt look crossed Relena's face. Her child had never rejected her before. It was a big shock that she'd start now. With a shaky breath Relena said more calmly, "What happened here Alex?"  
  
"What did Heero tell you last night?" he asked, countering a question with a question.  
  
"He didn't tell me anything. Why?"  
  
"Then neither shall I. I don't want to cause more trouble than I already will."  
  
"Will? Will? What do you mean will?"  
  
"Relena, calm down, you'll scare Kira." Heero said as he leaned against the doorframe glaring at Alex.  
  
"Heero, who is this boy?"  
  
"Not now Relena." He said. "Wait until the kids are down for their naps. Then we'll talk." Relena nodded numbly then slowly reached for her child. Again Kira grasped at Alex and buried her head in the hollow of his neck.  
  
"Kira baby, don't you want to come to mommy?" Relena asked, fighting tears.  
  
"Bad mommy, mean mommy." Was all Kira would say. Alex looked with concern at Kira, then glanced at Relena, making sure he didn't meet her eyes.  
  
"Heero, please?" he said as he tried to loosen Kira's fingers from behind his neck.  
  
Heero came over to relieve Alex of his burden but again Kira grasped at him saying, "No! Bad daddy, mean daddy!" Heero even looked shocked when his little girl said that.  
  
"What's going on Daddy?" Daja asked when she came into the room. "What's wrong with Kira?" Heero turned to look at his older daughter. At only six she was almost a replica of Relena but with Heero's cobalt blue eyes. Her sister, only two years younger, was the apple of her eye.  
  
Alex bent down to eye level with Daja and said, "Kira was playing around the fireplace again and she got burned. Do you think you could be a big girl and help us?"  
  
"Yeah!" she squealed with delight. She loved doing "important" things. "What do I have to do?"  
  
"We need to you take Kira and play some games with her until she feels better. Can you do that?"  
  
"Okay!" Daja said as she took her little sister. Kira finally let go of Alex and walked hand in hand with her sister to the play room. Alex watched them for a moment before he started to go back into the other room but Heero bared his way.  
  
"I want an explanation now."  
  
"You wont believe me if I told you."  
  
"Just try me." Heero said.  
  
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Dream Maker: Okay, ran out of ideas for now and I needed to get this up.  
  
Christa: Please read AND REVIEW people! and please don't forget about our other wonderful, and some not so wonderful, fics! Please read them. Especially the bloopers! You'll love them!  
  
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	7. Mistakes

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Dream Maker: Okay folks, standard yadda. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The g-boys and girls all belong to their respectable owners. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear, when I'm through with them. Okay, anything else?  
  
Christa: Yup. You forgot to say that we own the plot of the story…. Well, all but the kid from the future thing….. The futuristic thing is done a lot….. Anyway, thank you to all you people who have reviewed. Sorry to leave you dangling last chapter but we ran out of ideas.  
  
Dream Maker: Yeah, my muse here, *taps Christa on her head* couldn't think of anything else….. Pretty weird for a muse to need ideas since they're supposed to be brimming with them but hey, this is Christa we're talking about….  
  
Christa: *flattens her little mouse ears and glares* Don't forget that I do need a vacation. You really want me to leave?  
  
Dream Maker: Okay, shutting up….. But you people ARE forgetting to tell us your theories about who Alex is…. Anyway, please r&r, which means read AND REVIEW!  
  
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"Heero, you couldn't handle the truth. I owe you no explanations so I will give you none." Alex replied coldly. Heero remained impassive until Alex threw a punch aimed right at his face. Because he hadn't been full out attacked since A.C. 199 he was out of practice and instinctively brought his hands up to protect his face and closed his eyes. When nothing his him he looked he didn't see Alex right off. Relena pointed behind him. Alex had used a very old tactic to get past him. Heero was so mad that he hauled back and punched the wall, making his knuckles bleed some.  
  
"Heero, you shouldn't do that. You're more likely to damage yourself more than the wall." Alex called behind him as he sat back down in front of the TV. This time he made sure that the side of Quatre's chair was at his back. It was evident that he trusted Heero as little as Heero trusted him.  
  
"Heero, calm down. You can interrogate him later. Besides, didn't you say to wait until after the children were down for their naps?" Heero sighed as he turned around to look at his beloved wife.  
  
"Relena, I've never heard Kira say anything like that before. Never, and I never want to again. I can't help but think, no, I know that Alex was behind that."  
  
"I know he was too. Kira hates strangers picking her up, especially men or, boys in this case. But she wouldn't let go of him Heero. Its like she knew he was safe. I don't like it, but I'll be the first to admit that I think we can trust him."  
  
"Relena, children are fickle. And he didn't even treat her burn right!"  
  
"What's this I hear about a burn?" Sally asked, coming into the kitchen.  
  
"Kira must have burned herself on the fire grate and Alex didn't treat it right, he just put aloe on it. A lot of good that will do her, she's probably going to have a scar now." Heero snapped at her.  
  
"He only did that? What an idiot. But if Kira was burned I need to look at her." Sally said to herself, ignoring the fact that Heero was being so rude.  
  
"Well, a few seconds after Kira screamed I heard water running for a few seconds, then it was turned off. But there was no time for him to even apply the aloe before I got into the kitchen, that's the strange thing. I just can't explain it." Relena said just before Sally left the kitchen.  
  
"What? That can't be right." She said, then glanced at the clock. It was 1:30 pm. "Time for the children's naps."  
  
The adults had some difficulty putting some of the kids down for their naps but in the end it was accomplished. Or so they thought until Heero saw Alex walk out of the room Daja and Kira were sleeping in. He saw that Relena saw too. The minute Alex had gone back into the living room both of them entered the room together and found Daja asleep, but Kira was no where to be seen. The sound of a block being knocked off the small table made them spin around. Kira was sitting at the table making a small fortress out of small cardboard "bricks."  
  
"Kira, what was Alex doing in here sweetie?" Heero asked her quietly.  
  
"He wanted to talk to me. I'm sorry." Kira replied, bowing her head in shame.  
  
"What are you so sorry about Kira?" Relena asked as she knelt down to her daughters level. Kira didn't answer. Instead she got out of the small chair she'd been sitting in and flung her arms around her mothers neck and kissed her.  
  
"I'm sorry mommy. I'll never be mean again." Then se let go of her mother and ran and flung her arms around her daddy's legs. "I promise. I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me."  
  
Heero bent down and picked his small daughter up in his arms. "Now why would we be mad at you? What did Alex say to you?"  
  
"He said you were sleeping and you didn't hear me crying. Aunt Sally had to wake you up." Then she hugged Heero again. "Your not mean or bad."  
  
"We could never be mad at you Kira." Relena said as she took her daughter from Heero. "But its nap time so you need to go to sleep. Okay? Dream of pretty unicorns."  
  
"Okay mama." When Relena put Kira down on the bed Kira crawled under the covers and fell right to sleep. Heero and Relena stood watching their sleeping children for a few minutes before they left the room and joined the others. When they sat down Quatre tapped a sleeping Alex on the shoulder. Alex jumped up and looked wildly around before he saw where he was. Then he cleared his throat and sat back down on the floor as if nothing had happened.  
  
"Okay Alex, please explain to us exactly what just happened." Sally said.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"What happened with Kira?"  
  
"Yes, and what exactly were you doing in her room just then?"  
  
Alex sighed and gave him a steely look which he avoided. "Didn't I tell you I would offer no explanations? The less you all know the better."  
  
"Alex, how are we suppose to trust you if you refuse to tell us things we need to know?" Quatre said diplomatically.  
  
"I didn't ask you to trust me. I have no expectations of you. I expect no trust and I need none from you. I'm just here to do my job and leave."  
  
"What job would that be?" Hilde asked. Alex's eyes whipped towards her a Duo.  
  
"You didn't tell her I suppose? No, you wouldn't, would you Duo? I'll say nothing unless you all agree that you have no problem with them knowing. Though I would prefer them not to know, its none of my business."  
  
"I think I speak for us all when I ask what the hell is going on here?" Noin stated. She was outraged that she'd been left out of something that seemed very important. Alex looked at everyone before he bowed his head and spread his hands in defeat.  
  
"As you wish. I said last night that I was from the future and that all that followed me was trouble. Mostly death and destruction more than anything else, but that's beside the point isn't it? I was sent here to keep you all alive."  
  
He let the idea sink in with the girls before he continued. "I said last night the first assassination attempt would be Hilde. Well, actually it's the second. The first was Relena but that was six years ago. Anyway I have to keep you all alive because the future will be chaos without you. I lived there and saw it change little by little."  
  
"How did you travel here though time? And how do you know who's going to be next?" Sally said skeptically.  
  
"Not easily. But I know who's going to be next because I followed the news. Whenever something here changes, so do my memories."  
  
"Your memories? You mean, the future wasn't always the way it is now? Or will be, or was or…" Quatre said.  
  
"Yes Quatre. Someone got a hold of a time travel device and used it. They're in the stream of time now, trying to kill you one by one. It's already happened for me so I know who to keep alive."  
  
"So, you're basically here to keep us alive, but wouldn't it make more sense to go back and stop whoever it was from getting the time device?" Wufei said.  
  
"It would if it were that easy. We… the person who built the device and myself don't know who stole it or when. And we're the only ones who know its happening. No one else notices. Either that or no one cares." Alex said sadly.  
  
"But what if the person who is trying to kill us finds out about you and kills you in the future before you can come back?" Relena asked worried.  
  
"Then it will be a sad day for us all now wont it?" He said, his voice still icy and monotone like it always was. Then his eyes widened and he screamed, "HILDE! SALLY! MOVE NOW!" Seconds after he did a horrible explosion ripped through the wall that had just been behind them. Everyone was thrown to the ground and debris flew everywhere. After some of the smoke cleared the shuffling of debris could be heard as people picked themselves up out of the wreckage of what was once part of the small cottages wall.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" Trowa called out since he couldn't see very well through the smoke that still remained.  
  
"A better question is, is everyone accounted for?" Sally said. She counted the figures through the smoke. Ten figures though the smoke, eleven including herself. Quatre got a fan and blew the remaining smoke out the gaping hole in the wall.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Heero yelled at Alex. "Couldn't you have given us a little more warning? We could have been killed! Oh my god! The kids! If anything's happened to them Alex, I swear by the heavens that I will kill you with my bare hands!"  
  
"Nothings happened to them Heero. They're all still sleeping." Quatre said in wonder. He couldn't believe that they all slept through such racket.  
  
"How is that possible? Are you sure… you're sure they're all just sleeping Quatre?"  
  
"Yes Noin, I'm sure. I checked and they're all still breathing."  
  
"Oh thank god."  
  
"Heero, I think you owe Alex an apology." Trowa stated. He was a shaken up as all the others were but he wasn't so shaken that he didn't know Heero had been out of line."  
  
"I owe that stupid kid nothing. He almost got us all killed. I bet he planted that bomb himself. Where'd he get off to anyway?" Turning around he found Alex knelt down in the rubble holding a twisted piece of metal that was the remnants of the bomb.  
  
"Alex? Are you okay?" Sally asked as she walked over towards him. Relena, Noin, and Hilde had fled into the bedrooms to recheck the children.  
  
"Leave him alone Sally. He's not worth your time. He doesn't feel anything." Heero stated coldly. He had hoped that Alex would die in the explosion. (no, he didn't plant the bomb people! Get real!) Quatre walked towards him, just behind Sally. He stayed back as Sally did an assessment for injuries. When she found none she sighed and walked away.  
  
"Alex? Are you alright?" Quatre said, placing his hand on the young mans shoulder. "Alex, you're trembling. Sally, I think he's in shock."  
  
"I almost failed." Alex's voice was barely audible but Quatre heard him, just barely.  
  
"Alex, we're all still here. Don't sweat it. The wall is replaceable and no one got hurt. That's a miracle in itself. Its okay." Quatre felt with his mind for what Alex was feeling but what he found baffled him. Six years ago he'd felt absolutely nothing. Now he felt utter peace and happiness, almost like he was sleeping.  
  
"They're all gone. I can't believe it. I'm alive but Daja and some of the other kids, they're dead. They were all killed after the bomb. Sally, Hilde, Wufei, Duo, all dead. I can see body parts strewn all over the floor. My god, its such a mess. I.." Alex bent over on the grass and vomited. "All gone and there wasn't anything I could do about it. Not a thing. Why? Why couldn't I stop it? Why?" tears fell from his eyes and ran down his cheeks, leaving clean trails in the dirt.  
  
"Alex, snap out of it." Quatre said. He shook the boy but nothing happened. Alex just continued to tremble and cry. "Heero?" Heero had come up during Alex's mad ravings and heard about his daughters "death."  
  
"I'll take care of him Quatre." Heero picked the kid up off the ground by the neck of his shirt and punched him full force in the face, letting go as he did. Alex's head snapped sideways and he was send hurtling backwards into a tree by the force Heero had put behind the punch.  
  
"What the heck did you do that for?" Wufei demanded angrily as he looked up from digging in the wreckage for his coat.  
  
"He's talking like a mad hatter. What else was I suppose to do?" Heero called back over his shoulder as he walked away. Over by the tree Alex gingerly put a hand to the left side of his face. He shook his head and picked himself up off the ground and adjusted his hat.  
  
"He's right Wufei. I'm sure I deserved that. I'm sorry." Alex said as he walked back towards the wreckage. "That bomb was planted hours ago so my secret's still safe. For now at least."  
  
"What do you care about a secret?" Zechs said angrily. "I'm with Heero, we could have been killed!"  
  
"If my secret gets out you will be."  
  
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Dream Maker: Okay, how do you like that for a cliffhanger?  
  
Christa: Can we put up two chapters in one day? Please?"  
  
Dream Maker: No, I don't think so. But we can put the next chapter up tomorrow….  
  
Christa: Okay! *dances around with Lady Stardancer* I cant wait! Can you?  
  
Dream Maker: Okay Christa, calm down. Anyway, please read AND REVIEW. And PLEASE give us your theories about Alex….. we'll tell you if your right even…. Well, as long as you don't tell anyone else….  
  
Christa: Okay, have a nice day! *waves* bye bye!  
  
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	8. A New Theory

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Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: So how'd you like the last chapter? Want another one? Well here it is!  
  
Dream Maker: No duh Christa. Sheesh, how stupid can a muse get?  
  
Christa: They'd have to be pretty pathetic if they were any stupider than you, that's for sure.  
  
Dream Maker: So you're calling yourself pathetic?  
  
Christa: NANI?!?!? *beats the author over the head until little birdies are seen* Okay, on with the fic!  
  
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"What do you mean?" Zechs asked, confused.  
  
"I guess you weren't listening when Relena asked me what would happen if I was killed in the future so I couldn't come back to the past." Alex replied. Then he looked over at Wufei fighting with Heero. "Wufei, its fine. I deserved what Heero gave me. Nothing more, nothing less."  
  
"Deserved that?! Any normal person it probably would have killed and you say you deserved it?!"  
  
"I see no reason why I didn't. I was acting like a child and I needed to be straitened out. Thank you Heero." Heero just glared at Alex before he walked back to the bedroom his children were sleeping in.  
  
"How in the world did the kids sleep through this?" Quatre asked perplexed. He'd seen many strange things but not one of them could compare to this.  
  
"I did it. The moment I knew the blast was coming I stopped their time until afterwards and then sped them past it. So they heard nothing. But we need to get away from here Quatre. Someone will come to make sure that we're dead soon and I don't want to be around to find out how many are sent."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
"Try to make sure the children don't wake up." Alex said to Quatre's retreating back.  
  
~*~  
  
Somehow they managed to get out of the house and back to Quatre's mansion without a single child waking up. It was agreed that it would probably be safer for everyone if they weren't all together in one spot because that made it easier for whoever it was to kill them. So quickly everyone left the mansion.  
  
"So what happens with me?" Alex asked Quatre after everyone else had left.  
  
"I'm sorry Alex but you'll only be staying here for the night. After that you'll be shuffled between houses. Everyone agreed that it was safest for all of us that way."  
  
"I'm fine with that Quatre. I'm use to getting dumped off on other people."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Never mind Quatre. Oh, your cell phone's ringing." Alex said, pointing to the small phone hooked to Quatre's belt. Quatre quickly answered it and to his surprise it was Heero.  
  
"Heero, is something wrong?"  
  
"Yeah Quatre. Did you forget that there was that big political get-together over at the Mason's today? Relena just reminded me. She's a bit too shaken up to go and she wants someone to be there. So can I see you back there in five?"  
  
"Heero, you should know by now that my door's always open. But yes, in all the excitement I did forget. But what about Alex? I don't think he would be suitable for a um… suit and tie occasion?"  
  
"That's the other thing. Its totally casual. Everyone's going to be wearing jeans and that kind of stuff. See ya in five."  
  
"Goodbye." Turning to Alex he spotted that be boy was gone. "Alex? Alex?! Where'd you go?"  
  
"I'm back here in the library Quatre." He called for farther back in the house. Quatre quickly jogged back to the library to see him sitting behind his desk reading a thick novel.  
  
"How'd you find your way back here so quickly?"  
  
"It's one of the rooms I passed when I was running from Rachide last time I was here. Have you read this book?"  
  
"No, I haven't had time to read in a few weeks. Why?"  
  
"Pity. It's really a good one so far. I started it when I was ten but I never got to finish it. Well anyway, what did Heero want?"  
  
"Huh? Oh!" Quatre had picked up a book that had been sitting on his desk for a while and gotten lost in it. "He wanted to remind me about a casual get-together someplace. I need you to come with us."  
  
"Quatre I'm telling you now that I can't be a shield for you. I cant tell you what's going to happen and when exactly. I tried that and look what happened. I almost got you killed. It I hadn't been so sure about it that wouldn't have happened."  
  
"Stop blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault. Everyone makes mistakes. I mean, come on. I almost killed Trowa once when I tried to master the zero system."  
  
"I already knew that Quatre." Alex said without looking up from his book. "And you beat yourself up over it to."  
  
"What? How did you.."  
  
"I'm not subject to your time and certain things made it necessary to go back farther than just six years ago."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Quatre? Quatre where are you? Quatre?!"  
  
"Back here Heero."  
  
"What are you doing back here? Don't you know we're suppose to leave in half an hour? You still need to get cleaned up! Look at all the dirt that's on you."  
  
"And I suppose that your any better?" Quatre said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at his friend.  
  
"I'm just saying that it doesn't look good to be late." A groan escaped Alex and they both looked toward him.  
  
"I swear I never thought I'd see the day where Heero turned into more of a politician than both Quatre and Relena combined!"  
  
"Anyway," Heero said turning his back on Alex, " We need to get ready and the punk needs to also."  
  
"Fun, I save the lives of his friends and children and I get demoted to punk." Alex muttered as he snapped the book shut that he'd been holding. "What exactly am I going as? I can't be one of your children. How about Irea's long lost son? No one can prove who I am then." For a second Quatre got a pained look in his eyes but he nodded curtly and walked from the room.  
  
"Watch your mouth boy. I don't want my friends getting hurt." Heero warned him.  
  
"What is your problem with me Heero? I don't get it. You've been entirely antagonistic to me since the moment I walked through the door. Why?"  
  
"Classified." Heero said before he walked off.  
  
~*~  
  
The barbecue was all that could be expected. It was filled with stuffy politicians and their bratty children. Much Heero and Quatre's amazement Alex totally avoided the children his age, girls or not, and instead hung out with the small children. Most of them were under the age of seven and had been turned loose to fend for themselves during the barbecue.  
  
Alex remained his usual serious self during the entire thing. All of the adults avoided going near him but the children trusted hum. He spent the entire time giving the seven or so kids piggy-back rides, juggling for them, and doing acrobatics. Many of the tricks he did Quatre had seen Trowa perform at one time or another.  
  
None too soon for the Adults it was time to leave but Alex looked back with sadness as they walked towards the waiting car. It wasn't a limmo so all three of them had to sit together in the back seat. Alex somehow got stuck sitting in between them.  
  
As the car drove onto the highway Alex feigned being tired and leaned back against the seat to sleep. A few minutes later he skillfully slowed his breathing to that of a sleeping persons.  
  
"Heero," Quatre said quietly. "Do you find anything strange about this boy?"  
  
"Do you really need to ask? I haven't liked him since the moment I saw him. He's dangerous Quatre. There's no two ways about it."  
  
"I know he could be but I meant besides that. Does he remind you of anyone?"  
  
"He seemed to be acting a lot like Trowa at the barbecue if that's what you mean."  
  
"Don't you find that odd?"  
  
"Not really. Quatre, he could impersonate anyone of us if he wanted to. He's just skillful at that."  
  
"But he said he was from the future."  
  
"Yeah, so? If it wasn't for what happened earlier I'd say he was a total nutcase but now I say he planted the bomb himself."  
  
"No, Heero I have an odd feeling about him. You remember right after the bomb went off how he was so shaken?"  
  
What's Quatre getting at? He couldn't have figured out my secret already could he? No, please no. Don't have figured it out, Alex thought. Jus then the car hit a bump in the road and, since he couldn't tense his muscles without letting them know that he was awake, he slid sideways on the seat and his head landed on Heero's shoulder.  
  
"What? Quatre, a little help please?" Heero asked as he moved to sit Alex back up.  
  
"No Heero. Let him sleep. Besides, I barely tapped him earlier and you remember what happened. Just leave him be."  
  
"Fine." Heero said flatly. "What were you saying?"  
  
"I've always been able to tell what people are feeling but he's different somehow.'  
  
"What are you getting at Quatre?" Heero asked suspiciously.  
  
"I tried to feel how bad he was shaken up, but when I reached out I felt utter peace. It was like he was asleep."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And when he started babbling I remember him saying 'I'm the only one left.' Or at least something like that."  
  
"Yeah? So? He was just seeing one of his so called memories."  
  
"Heero, you're overlooking what I want you to see. Heero, I think one of us ex-gundam pilots is his father."  
  
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Dream Maker: Dunt dunt dunt! So what do you think? Any of you figure out what was going to happen before Quatre said it?  
  
Quatre: So I was right?  
  
Dream Maker: Well, we shall have to wait and see shan't we?  
  
Christa: Mean person, making me stop writing like this. Its not fare!  
  
Dream Maker: Well Christa, that's the way the cookie crumbles. But we had to stop on a cliffhanger to (hopefully) make sure they come back to read some more!  
  
Christa: Well, okay. Hey people PLEASE give us your THEORIES ABOUT ALEX in your reviews. We'd like to know what you think about him. Because there are three more secrets bout him that you don't know! *evil laugh* And please r&r which means read AND REVIEW. Okay, bye! *waves*  
  
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	9. Complications

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~ Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them. Christa: So, how'd you like the last chapter? Dream Maker: Well, we got at least one review so we know we have some fans... *sweatdrop* Anyway, here's some more of the fic.. the rest of the chapters will be longer because well.. Christa: Because we realized that all the chapters were only like three or four pages long.. so the rest will (hopefully) be longer like we said.. Anyway, before me and this pathetic writer start fighting lets get to the fic! Dream Maker: Pathetic? Pathetic?! I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!!!!!!!! *chases after her muse with a pair of swords borrowed from Wufei* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A sharp intake of breath made both of the men look down at the sleeping boy, but it was quickly followed by a deep sigh. "For a moment there I thought he woke up." Quatre said in relief.  
  
"Sure, but what do you mean he's one of our children? He can't be mine because I only have girls, and he can't be yours because you don't have any at all."  
  
"Heero, he said he came from the future. He never said how far into the future he came from. Think about it Heero. He came back here to keep us safe and he said his mother had died. It makes sense."  
  
"Maybe, but I'm not quite sure. Why wouldn't he just tell us?" "I don't know." Quatre looked out the window as the car slowed and saw his mansion looming before them. "Looks like we're here. Alex, wake up." He gently shook the sleeping boy awake. Alex didn't jump up this time, but his eyes snapped open and he looked around before he realized where he was. "We're here Alex." Alex didn't say anything, just stepped out of the car and waited at the door to be let in. Rachide opened the door and nearly fell over from shock.  
  
"Master Quatre, where'd he come from? This isn't him is it?!"  
  
"Rachide, calm down. He's only staying here for tonight. Will you have a room made up for him? Oh, and are you staying Heero?"  
  
"If you don't mind. I'll leave with him in the morning."  
  
"Fine. Please have two rooms made up Rachide."  
  
"Quatre, I'm sorry to be rude but do you have a door with a lock on it?" Alex asked before Rachide could walk away. Quatre thought for a moment before he hesitantly said, "Yes. I think I could arrange for that to be the room you stay in if that's what you want."  
  
"Thank you. I would like that very much."  
  
"Why the heck do you want a lock on your door kid?" Heero asked suspiciously as they entered the mansion and were lead to their rooms.  
  
"I like my privacy. And, though I may trust the others, I don't trust you. Now answer me. Do you have a sufficient answer to why you're so suspicious of me?"  
  
"I have orders to keep an eye on you." Was all Heero said as they stopped in front of a room.  
  
"Heero, here's your room and the child's is right next door." Turning to Alex he handed him a key. "This will let you in. I take my leave now unless either of you have anything you need."  
  
"No, thank you Rachide. We'll be fine." Heero stated, obviously more than ready to get rid of him for some reason. Rachide only bowed, turned, and walked away. Alex watched him a moment before he inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. But as he was turning the key back so he could take it out of the lock, it snapped off, leaving him holding the end of the key. "How did that happen?" Heero demanded.  
  
"I told you I like my privacy. I know you can pick locks and I didn't want to be intruded upon. I'll get him a new lock later." With that he stepped inside the room and closed the door. But before he had a chance to lock it Heero thrust it open and stepped inside the room. The light was still off but Alex could see that Heero meant business when he looked at his face. Quicker than he'd expected him to move, Heero had him up against the wall with one of his hands around Alex's throat.  
  
"If you ever pull a stunt again like you did today I will make you wish you were never borne. And if you try to run, I will hunt you down." (Okay, btw, we don't own those lines either. They belong to Miss Congeniality, although we did slightly modify them.)  
  
"What stunt are you talking about?" Alex played innocent, hoping that it would get him out of trouble.  
  
"You were awake in the car and I know it. You were ease-dropping on us."  
  
"So? Why didn't you call my bluff in the car?"  
  
"I didn't want to make Quatre angry with you."  
  
"So, you're not as stone hearted as you'd like me to think. Heero, I don't care what you think of me but it would be nice not to have you as an enemy. I'd hate to make life miserable for you tomorrow."  
  
"I want the truth and I want to now Alex, was one of the Gundam Pilots your father?"  
  
"Maybe. But you also can't rule out the possibility of Zechs now can you? He wasn't a Gundam Pilot."  
  
"So Zechs was, I mean is your father?"  
  
"That would make you my uncle but no. I never said who my father was nor will I ever if I have a choice. They would think they had to act as my parents and that would be an attachment. I can't have attachments here. It could get me killed or it could distract me with feelings I don't need if I have to sacrifice them for the good of the future." Heero started at him in utter disbelief.  
  
"You'd kill your own parents?"  
  
"If it was better for the people then yes. If it was not, then no. Remember Heero, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I was trained for this mission and I will carry it out. Now, if you would kindly put me down." He stated it more than asked and Heero obliged. "Now, unless you have something else you want cleared up, get out." Heero walked out shaking his head. Alex quickly changed his clothes and drew the covers up to his chin as he climbed into the soft bed that he'd be sleeping in. He went to sleep wondering if he'd said too much.  
  
~*~ (Day 2)  
  
Quatre wondered the mansion looking for any signs of life. Heero was still asleep, along with most of the servants, and Alex we nowhere to be found. "Where could he have gotten off to? I didn't think any kid his age would be up this early by choice. I know I wasn't." he muttered to himself as he wandered out into the immense garden at the back of the mansion. He wandered through it taking in the sounds, smells, and sights as he walked.  
  
He headed toward the back of the western part of the garden. Of all the beautiful places in the garden, that was his favorite. A massive oak tree was planted there and he loved to sit in its shade on the grass and read a book as the wind tousled his hair. It was especially nice in the morning when the "sun" was just beginning to rise and the light played over his face, making colors dance before his eyes whether they were open or not. Although his mind was drifting to other places, his feet still took him to the oak tree. But when he sat down his mind came back to the present and he got a feeling of someone watching him.  
  
He looked lazily around but saw no one. Only when a leaf drifted down in front of his face did he look up to see a figure watching him from the branches above. "Morning Alex. I wondered where you'd got off to."  
  
"Morning Quatre. Sorry if I scared you."  
  
"Not at all. I just came out here to enjoy the sunshine. What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Couldn't sleep?"  
  
"You might say that." Alex said flatly. Quatre got a feeling there was more to it than that but he didn't press the subject.  
  
"Alex, this may seem rude, but what are you doing here? I mean, how can you tell if what you're doing is the best thing for the future?"  
  
"My memories. I can tell how good or how badly the people from my memories of what I've seen."  
  
"How did you get here?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure myself exactly." Alex said. As he watched Quatre he could see that he was fighting with himself about something. "You have more questions. Ask them. I'll answer them if I think they won't jeopardize my mission."  
  
"Thank you. Heero and I talked last night.."  
  
"Yes, one of you is my father. You were right about that. Will I tell you who it is? That answer is no. Will I tell you what gender your future children will be? No." Alex stated before Quatre had a chance to finish.  
  
"Okay, with that answered, are you sure you would sacrifice your own parents? I mean knowing them, your father before he made any big mistakes, knowing your mother at all, isn't that important to you?"  
  
"I." he couldn't finish what he was about to say. "I don't know. I was sent here to protect them, to protect all of you, but I think I would give both of them up again for things to go back to normal."  
  
"Then there was another reason that you came back?"  
  
"No!" Alex said a little too quickly but Quatre felt, just for a second, a real live emotion from him. Pain. Intense pain that comes from loosing everything. Along with it came a long buried memory.  
  
***(Flashback that Quatre sees)  
  
"Hey. Thanks for coming over."  
  
"No problem. Anything for a friend. I'm sorry about your pop. Dad will be here to pick us up tomorrow. I'm suppose to help you pack." Alex saw his friend look around the room at the bare shelves and walls and forced a grin onto his face.  
  
"I'm already packed. I have his best suit ready for the funeral and all my stuff fits in two suitcases." The friend tore her eyes away from the walls.  
  
"Then what do you want to do now?"  
  
"How about the club? I could use something to take my mind off of today. It was truly pathetic."  
  
"Hey, wait." He turned around and his friend looked at him. "You were hurt. Sure you don't want to go see a doctor? My parents would kill me if anything happened to you."  
  
"Huh?" Alex reached up and touched the side of his head. "Oh that. That's not my blood. I thought I'd washed all that off." he said as he went into the bathroom and washed the rest of it off. A single tear slid down his cheek but he wiped it away angrily and looked in the mirror for a split second before he walked out the door with his friend. Even though he put on a brave appearance, by the time they got to the club he was more than angry. Emotions warred within him making him even madder at himself for feeling. He knew better.  
  
Hours flew by as he danced out on the floor, neon lights flashing, heavy metal music blaring from the loudspeakers on stage. The band was really good tonight. Just then a tap on the shoulder made him turn around to see his friend standing there.  
  
"Hey, can I have your coat? I need some air. These weird guys with freaked out tattoos have been stocking me, asking about you."  
  
"Yeah, sure. Take it. I'll be out in a few." He replied as he took off his coat and handed it to her.  
  
"Thanks." She said as she walked off into the crowd. But a few seconds after she's gone it dawned on him that she'd said something about weird tattoos. He tried to hurry through the crowd but an especially obnoxious song started and everyone went mad, making it nearly impossible to move.  
  
Fearing for his friends life he pushed and shoved his way by people who responded with rude signs or suggestions. Once one person even tried to fight him but a bouncer came along and grabbed him. Alex followed in the bouncers wake, praying that he'd hurry up.  
  
  
  
Finally he stepped out into the cold night air and looked around. Not seeing his friend made the heavy pressure of fear knot itself in his stomach. Then he heard a blood-curdling scream from a side ally. As he rushed to help his friend two members of the viper gang caught him.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" One of them sneered as a scream was heard again.  
  
"Hey, this isn't the one!" the leader shouted but then laughed wickedly. "But that should teach 'em not to mess with us again." He laughed again and as he ran past, signaled his goons to let Alex go. Instead of chasing after them like he usually would have Alex scrambled over to his friend. She lay entirely still and he thought she was dead. He reached out to touch her and a small groan escaped her throat. Alex quickly propped her head up on his lap and bent over her.  
  
"Are you okay? What did they do to you? My god, I am so sorry." She was still wearing his jacket. The jacket! They'd mistaken her for him!  
  
"I have to go now. It's okay. I have to go now." she said to him, her voice growing fainter with every word until her words stopped and her breathing stilled. But her lifeblood continued to flow out of her onto the pavement. Her braid had come partially loose and her tresses seemed to gather about her face, silhouetting it. The peaceful expressions on her face made her look, even more so now, like the angel she's always been to him.  
  
Rain started to pour down on them and he thought it was fitting that the heavens should cry when an angel was taken before her time. Lightning flashed overhead and fire blazed in his eyes as he saw the knife lying on the ground next to her broken body. He lifted his head towards he heavens and yelled, "Why her? Why not me?! How dare you!" He notified the police and went inside, after being questioned, to call someone. Three rings later someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Quatre?"  
  
"Listen, I told you last time that I don't have time to baby-sit so stop calling me! See if one of the others can take you, you ungrateful runt!"  
  
"Quatre please-!" but he'd already hung up, which was evident by the buzzing of the dial tone in his ear. ~*~  
  
He was running down the street chasing after three boys. All of the had severe knife wounds already. Finally one tripped and he stood over him with a look of triumph on his face.  
  
"Please, don't hurt me!"  
  
"You should have thought about that before you killed my angel." Alex said. The knife flashed downwards and he cur the viper many times before he finally dealt the killing blow. He went after, caught, and executed the other two in the same fashion.  
  
~*~  
  
He was running away. The police were after him for the murder of the mayor's son and two of his friends. Alex darted down different ally ways trying to try to confuse them but they stayed right with him. Suddenly something hit him from behind and his world went black.  
  
~*~  
  
"Are you ready now? Have you gotten yourself into enough trouble? Or do you want to have us turn you over to the police."  
  
"To undo what was done I will undertake this mission."  
  
"Dr. J! There's someone else in the timeline already. He has been for a while I guess."  
  
"Dr. M, how could you not have detected him before?!" turning back to face him he asked, "Are you still willing?"  
  
"To stop what will be done I will undertake this mission."  
  
"Good. We have taught you well. Though you could have been less thorough with those boys. It was a bit of a mess. Your name will be Alex. Remember, trust no one. Your family is of no true importance. You know what to do if the time comes. Don't hesitate to kill, though you've already proven that you don't have a weak stomach about it. That will serve you well. Now my perfect little avenging angel, go and fulfill your destiny."  
  
  
  
***  
  
Quatre blinked and looked up towards the silent figure sitting in the tree above him. He'd thought the boy was troubles since he'd come but now he was more than sure of it. "Quatre, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
"Did.." He choked back a sob. "Did I really say that to you?" Alex's eyes widened. He'd just relived his worst memory and evidently, Quatre had with him.  
  
"You saw?!"  
  
"I didn't mean to. That's never happened before though. I wouldn't have done that if I'd know how to stop it."  
  
"Its fine Quatre. Just please don't tell the others."  
  
"Did I really say that?"  
  
"Its my fault. I should have known not to bother you when you were in the middle of something as important as a business merger. I deserved what you said."  
  
"No, no one deserves that."  
  
"If you don't like it just remember that its your future, not your past."  
  
"Who was that girl?"  
  
"Please don't Quatre."  
  
"It was Duo's daughter Matty wasn't it?" Alex winced, confirming the fact for him.  
  
"I should have been there for her."  
  
"She's the reason you came back isn't it? It wasn't your fault."  
  
"But it was, don't you see that? It I had paid more attention, if I hadn't given her that stupid jacket she would still be alive." Alex snapped. Quatre sighed and thought, For a boy so young he had too much guilt on his soul. "You called her your angel. Were you in love with her?"  
  
"Yes and no. I loved her but not that way. She was like a sister to me. When I first stayed with her she was an angel of mercy. That's why I called her that." He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin there, looking at a rose in the flower garden across from them.  
  
Changing the subject Quatre said, "The man in the time stream is the one you don't want to find out isn't he?"  
  
"Yes, but he's different from the one that attacked you the day I first met you. He was under orders to kill me because someone had hired someone else to kill Relena. They had the room bugged. That's why they knew where I was."  
  
"Morning Quatre, sleep well?" Heero asked cheerily as he walked towards them with a cup of coffee in each hand. He didn't notice Alex up in the tree at all.  
  
"Yes, I slept very well, thank you Heero." He took the cup of coffee that was offered to him and sipped at it. Heero sighed and Quatre gave him a quizzical look. "What's up?"  
  
"I just wish today was tomorrow. I don't want to brink that kid into my house. I'm afraid something might happen to Relena or the kids."  
  
"Well at least I went from punk back to kid." Alex said as he looked down at them. Heero nearly inhaled and spit coffee all over himself at the same time. Quatre thumped him on the back, trying to hold back his laughter and Alex jumped the five or six feet from the tree to the ground and kneeled beside him. "You okay Heero?"  
  
"What in blazes name were you doing ease-dropping again? Or were you spying on Quatre this time?" he roared angrily. Alex just rolled his eyes at him and lifted his head towards the sky in an askance for patience.  
  
"Heero, be nice to him." Quatre snapped. "We were having a conversation before you ever woke up. Alex, what happened there?"  
  
"What?" Both Heero and Quatre were looking at his neck where the very faint outlines of Heero's handprint could still be seen. "I don't know what you're talking about." Alex stated as he quickly got up and left. Quatre turned and glared at Heero who just looked at him.  
  
"How do you think I got him to tell me those things last night?" was all he said before he followed the boy into the mansion. "Hey kid. We'll be leaving at noon. Get your junk packed up."  
  
"And how long is the flight may I ask?"  
  
"Six hours. Just enough time to get home, have dinner, and get the kids to bed." Heero said absently as he walked towards his room.  
  
A few hours later they were sitting on an earthbound shuttle heading for eastern Eurasia. The flight was very uneventful, considering they were the only ones on the plane. Neither of them had anything really to say to the other so Heero ended up reading a magazine and Alex stared out into the cold blackness of space.  
  
When they arrived on earth Pagan was waiting for them. He moved quickly and surely for someone of his age as he took their baggage from them and heaved it into the trunk of the car. In no time at all they were roaring down the highway towards Heero and Relena's vast mansion.  
  
The mansion itself sat on a hill overlooking a lush, green valley with a large lake in its center. A forest was all you could see for miles around, unless you counted the meadow that was right behind the mansions gardens. A terrace wrapped around the whole of the bottom floor of the building and Roman pillars supported the overhanging that accompanied the terrace. Baloneys jutted out from the sides of the building at regular intervals. All in all, it was a pretty amazing sight to look at.  
  
The car pulled up the circular driveway and stopped right in front of the door. Pagan opened the door of the car and allowed both out before he got the bags from the trunk. Alex and Heero tried to help him but he refused them respectfully. Heero finally gave up and walked in the front of his house, only to be attacked by two wild children, both wanting to be the first to get a kiss and hug from daddy.  
  
"Kira, Daja, its good to see you again." Heero laughed as he bent down and scooped them up in his arms. As he stood Relena walked into the room wearing a semi-figure fitting summer dress. "Hey Relena, you look beautiful." Heero said as he looked at her.  
  
She just laughed and shook her head saying, "Heero, you always say that." Then she stood on her toes and kissed him, carefully avoiding squishing her children in the process. When she looked behind him though, her smile faltered for a moment. "Alex, come in please."  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Relena." He said respectfully as he stepped into the house and closed the door once Pagan came in.  
  
"How long will you be staying?" Relena asked, but she pointed the question more towards Heero than Alex.  
  
"He's leaving tomorrow." Heero said to her as he set his girls down.  
  
"Alex!" Kira and Daja shrieked as they ran towards him. In a fluid movement Alex bent down, scooped them up, and twirled them around. Both girls shrieked with joy and hugged him. After Heero got over his initial shock he noticed that Alex's face, though usually carefully schooled to be void of anything, was caressed with a joyful smile.  
  
"Now girls, leave him alone. He's probably tired after that trip. Leave him alone and go wash up for dinner." Relena scolded her offspring playfully. Alex put the girls down and they scampered off down one of the many halls to wash their hands.  
  
"They're really no trouble at all Relena." He said as he watched them run off.  
  
"You really like children don't you?" Heero asked him. 'I'm truly amazed that someone like him could enjoy children's company,' Heero thought. 'Its funny how they trust him even though they don't know him. Maybe he's not so bad as I initially thought. But there's still more to him than we know. He's hiding something. Something he doesn't want found out. Why else would he break the key off in Quatre's lock? There has to be something in that bag he doesn't want us to see. I'll have to send another update to Dr. J..'  
  
"Heero, earth to Heero!" Relena said as she waved her hand in front of his face.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I asked you if you were going to stand there all day. Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"Sorry Relena. Just a bit tired I guess."  
  
"Uh-huh." She eyed him for a moment before she walked away. "Pagan will show you to your room Alex." She called over her shoulder before she disappeared around a corner.  
  
"This way sir." Pagan started off at a pace that would have put some young men to shame. Alex was surprised that he could move that well at his age. He led him down a series of halls to a room sime-secluded from the rest of the house. "Here we are sir. Will you be needing anything else?"  
  
"No, thank you Pagan." The man bowed and then like a ghost he was gone. Alex shrugged as he walked into the room, noticing with remorse that it had no lock on the door, and dumped his bag on the floor next to the door.  
  
He took a quick shower and was just settling down to read the book Quatre had let him borrow when a sharp knock sounded on the door and Heero stuck his head in telling him to come to dinner.  
  
It was a fairly uneventful night. He didn't eat a whole lot at dinner and afterwards he took the girls outside to play with them. Some of the servant's children joined them and they all enjoyed a good game of hide-and- go-seek-tag until it was almost too dark to see and the children were called in by their parents. All three of them came in flushed from the excitement and eyes dancing with happiness.  
  
"Time for beds kids. Go brush your teeth and get your pj's on." Relena called from the kitchen. The girls muttered about early bedtimes but they hugged Alex goodnight and scampered off to their rooms. Alex shook his head a little as he stood up but when he turned around and spotted Heero his smile completely disappeared from his face and his eyes took on their normal hard stare that Heero carefully avoided.  
  
"Play hard with them?" Heero asked.  
  
"They're probably pretty tired."  
  
"They give you any trouble?"  
  
"Why should they? They're good kids." He shifted on his feet uncomfortably.  
  
"You told me you'd rather not have me as an enemy. Stop acting so distant. I'm trying." Heero said sincerely.  
  
"Sorry." Alex said and schooled his expression into what he hoped looked sheepish. Somehow Heero's words didn't comfort him. They stood there for a few minutes before Heero moved aside and Alex walked past him, forcing himself to walk slowly, even though he could feel Heero's piercing gaze on his back. Once in his room he quickly changed clothes and climbed into bed.  
  
Sometime later he rolled over and looked at the clock on the beside table. It was nearly 11:00 p.m. and he still wasn't tired. He contemplated getting up and sneaking into the kitchen to get some warm milk. At 11:30 he totally gave up that idea when his stomach started to feel queasy. For a moment he thought someone had poisoned him but then he remembered what was happening to him and lay quietly on the bed as he fought for control of his stomach. At 12:00 he was getting ready to move into the bathroom just in case but he heard someone outside his door start to turn the door handle and dismissed the idea.  
  
The door opened and a quiet shape entered the room. Though the window offered very little light and he had his eyes closed he had no doubt whatsoever about who it was. When the person started going through the belongings in his bag his anger flared but he said nothing, lest he have to explain things he didn't want to.  
  
The shape looked around the room but upon finding nothing of interest it moved over towards the bed he was sleeping in and pulled the rumpled covers back over him. After standing there looking at him for a minute or two the person exited the room as quietly as it had entered. At 12:30 his stomach started to calm down and he let himself uncurl from the balled up position he'd been in and wipe the sweat from his forehead. Then after a few minutes he fell into an exhausted sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dream Maker: Okay, the rest of the chapters should be somewhere around this long from now on. Christa: Hey, we gotta get this posted and off to bed. Bye! Don't forget read AND REVIEW! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	10. More Mistakes, Startling Discovery

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Dream Maker: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Well, sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but we've been away from a comp for a few days.. *sweatdrop*  
  
Dream Maker: Well, anyway, would still like to hear your ideas about Alex! Well, lets get on with the fic!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Alex woke the next morning to a soft knock on the door. After waiting for a moment or two for him to answer Pagan walked in.  
  
"I'm sorry to wake you sir but Heero wanted you ready to go in an hour. Do you require assistance?"  
  
"No, thank you Pagan," Alex said as he rubbed a hand across his eyes in a futile attempt at dislodging the crust from them. "I'll be fine on my own." Pagan bowed and exited the room and soon after Alex threw the covers off of himself and stepped onto the carpet. It was rather chilly this morning, even though the sun was shining brightly outside his window. But the chill didn't seem to be in the room itself, but in the feeling of foreboding that something was gone. He searched his bag and immediately knowing what the shadow figure had taken from him.  
  
He dressed quickly, swallowed a little white pill, and went down the hall to the kitchen to get a bite to eat before he was stuck on a plane to somewhere else. When he sat down at the table Heero looked at him over the rim of his coffee cup and Relena smiled at him. He politely smiled back but his attitude frosted over visibly when he looked at Heero.  
  
"Would you like something to eat sir?" a servant asked as he waked toward them.  
  
"Just a glass of milk and an orange please." Alex said. Heero and Relena ordered their breakfasts from him and he went off down a servant's passage to the kitchens. He returned a few moments later with Alex's food and disappeared nearly as quickly as he came.  
  
"Did you sleep well Alex?" Relena asked politely trying to break the ice.  
  
"As well as can be expected Miss Relena. And you?"  
  
"Well rested and ready to face the beautiful day."  
  
"I suppose Heero didn't sleep that well though, did he?"  
  
"Whatever are you talking about Alex?" Relena inquired.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Does Heero sleep walk? Because it seems he ended up in my room sometime last night." Alex said casually as he turned his gaze towards Heero. Heero was nearly as shocked as Relena was.  
  
"You were awake?!" He quarried before he could stop himself. He winced when he realized what he'd said and slowly turned to face Relena.  
  
"Heero, what is this about?" Her voice had an icy, no nonsense tone to it. The same one she used in all her meetings with the delegates over delicate matters. When Heero ignored the question she glared. "Heero?" He tone was warning of conflicts to come.  
  
"Oh it's quite alright Relena. As long as he returns my things to me there will be no problem and I'll forget this ever happened." Alex assured her. If it was possible, Relena's eyes narrowed even more.  
  
"Your things?" She asked tightly.  
  
"Alex, shut up." Heero commanded.  
  
"No Heero. Until I get my things back in my possession I will not leave you alone." Now his voice turned icy and thinly veiled threats clung to every word.  
  
"I will give them back in time."  
  
"No. You _will_ give them back _now_. You have no need nor right to go through my journal and you have no need for that picture. They both hold things you should not know of and if I do not get them back it will cause real problems. Problems with greater consequences than either you or I can imagine."  
  
"Heero-" Relena started to say something but Heero held up his hand to stop her.  
  
Holding up the aforementioned picture he asked, "Are you in this picture?" Relena caught a glimpse of herself, her children, her husband, and all of their friends and their families posing for a picture on some dock.  
  
"Yes. _Give_it_back_now_." Alex moved to grab it but Heero held it just out of his reach.  
  
"Tell me who you are." He commanded.  
  
"Miliardo, Noin, good morning." Relena said cheerfully, trying to cover up the conflict that was going on. Heero's attention wavered for a moment as he looked towards them to bid them a good morning. Alex saw his chance and took it, lunging across the table and tearing the picture from Heero's hands.  
  
Alex landed on the floor in front of Miliardo and curled up into a tight ball as wave after wave of pain washed over him. He knew everyone in the kitchen was staring at him but all he could think about was the pain. Vaguely he felt some put a hand on his shoulder and started to come back to his senses.  
  
"Alex are you okay?" Zechs asked, every syllable laced with concern. With a groan Alex hauled himself into a sitting position and clutched the picture to his chest. "What is going on here?" Zechs demanded, turning to Heero and Relena.  
  
"Heero, I swear if you ever want to sleep again you will go and get whatever it is that you took and return it _now_!" Relena yelled. It was rare that she got angry enough to yell and everyone in the room, with the exception of Alex, was shocked. Servants were poking their heads into the room now.  
  
"All of you back to work. This isn't a show." Noin snapped at them and they all scurried off to their respectable duties. Heero glared at Relena but when she didn't back down he grudgingly stalked off towards their room. He returned a few minutes later carrying what appeared to be a book. It was hand made, bound with a green velvet cover and a cream colored strip for the backing. On a closer inspection one would have noticed an intricate lock on it. No one in the room failed to notice that.  
  
When Heero held the journal out Alex snatched it out of his hand and winced again as the wound in his side pulled. Zechs helped him to his feet and an even icier chill settled over the room when he said, "I'll be taking your place on the shuttle Heero."  
  
"You most certainly will not!" Heero snapped.  
  
"I'm with Zechs on this one, Heero. Its obvious you can't be trusted with the boy."  
  
"But you're going to China, not L-2." Heero persisted, knowing his chance to find out about the boy was slipping through his fingers.  
  
"That's right, I am. I'm sure no one would object to Sally having a look at him there." Heero and Zechs locked eyes and it was Heero who looked away. He didn't say anything as he left the room and no one lifted a finger to stop him.  
  
~*~  
  
Thank you, Zechs. I appreciate what you're doing for me." Alex said awkwardly.  
  
"I'm related to you in some way. My sense of duty wouldn't have me do otherwise." He answered.  
  
"Oh." Was all he said. 'So that's the only reason he helped me,' Alex thought. 'It was his sense of duty. I should have known that was all.'  
  
"If I didn't know better I'd say you were disappointed." Zechs chided, trying to lighten the mood. At the same time the seatbelt sign came on overhead and the captain announced that they would be landing in a matter of minutes.  
  
"Maybe a little." Alex said without thinking.  
  
"And here I was thinking you were heartless." Zechs's voice was now serious. "Its obvious that you're hiding many secrets Alex, but around us you can let your guard down."  
  
Alex shook his head vigorously and quietly replied, "I did that once and someone very dear to me was killed because of my laps. That will never happen again." Then he turned back towards the window and started at the ground, leaving Zechs to think over what he'd said. That was the closest he'd ever come to telling anyone what had happened to his angel, with the exception of Quatre, but he hadn't told Quatre anything.  
  
When they landed at the airport Zechs quickly hustled him to a waiting car after they'd gotten their luggage. Twenty minutes later they were standing in front of the Chang residence. The cab driver only waited long enough to let them get their stuff out of the trunk before he burned rubber back to the airport.  
  
"What a nice person." Alex muttered sarcastically. Zechs nodded his head in agreement. Sally came out of the house wiping her hands on a dishtowel, which she threw over her shoulder, and greeted them with a cheerful smile and a wave. Wufei appeared a moment later. Maya and her sibling were playing in the yard off to one side of the porch.  
  
"Zechs, nice to see you again." Sally said, extending her hand toward him. "What brings you here today? I thought your business was taking you thirty miles that way." She pointed east. "You're a ways out of your way."  
  
"I also have business to take care of here." Zechs motioned to Alex, who stepped out from behind him where he'd been hiding. Sally's eyes widened and Wufei's eyebrows rose quizzically.  
  
A yowl was heard from where the children were and all of them looked over to see Maya holding onto the cats tail. Alex was the first one to move. He charged across the yard, picked the girl up and tanned her hide before he set her back down on the ground yelling, "You know better than to do that Maya Chang! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Maya started crying then and he stood up, only then aware that he'd overstepped his boundaries again.  
  
"Er, I'm sorry. I was out of line." He said, bowing his head in a proper display of remorse.  
  
"Its fine. I'd have done the same thing if I'd gotten to her first." Sally said, then turned to Maya. "Turn off the tear factory or I'll give you something to cry about." Maya sniffled and hiccuped twice before her sobs subsided.  
  
"Shall we go inside?" Wufei asked as he opened the door for them.  
  
A few minutes later all of them were seated in the living room and all had a glass of lemonade in their hands. "Why did you bring Alex here today? I thought we wouldn't be expecting him for another three days." Wufei started. "Not that I'm sorry to see you, but we just weren't expecting you." He was quick to assure them.  
  
"I brought him here because I was traveling this way and Heero was.. indisposed." No one said anything for a few minutes.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry to have to rush off like this but I've got a meeting to get to. Lady Une will have my hide if I'm not there on time. It was nice seeing you again." Zechs said as he set his glass aside and stood up to leave. After everyone said their goodbyes he left.  
  
"We've still got work to do outside. You should change into some work clothes before you join us." Wufei said as he turned towards the door, a smile gently caressing his lips.  
  
"Yes sir." Alex replied. 'I don't think I ever saw him this happy in my time. I'm glad he got to enjoy happiness before Sally died.' Alex thought as he turned towards Sally. "May I inquire as to where I'll be sleeping tonight?"  
  
"This way." Sally led him to the back of the house to a room just opposite her children's rooms. Alex thanked her and walked into the room. The door closed after he was through it and he started to remove his shirt.  
  
"Alex, may I please look at that wound?" Sally asked. He was so surprised he jumped a mile high and spun around to face her. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew I was in here."  
  
"Obviously not." He evaded Sally when she reached for his shirt hem and caught her hand between his. "I'm afraid I can't let you see."  
  
"Alex, I'm a doctor. I am qualified to look at it. You've no reason to be afraid I'll hurt you."  
  
"I'd just rather no one did."  
  
"If you don't let me see that wound I'll bring Wufei in here to hold you down while I look at it. So do you want to do it the easy way or the hard way, either way I win." She removed her hand from his hand took a step back. "It's your choice Alex."  
  
"If you put it that way how can I refuse?" he stated ruefully. Sally reached for his shirt hem again and again he avoided her. "I will let you look at me on one condition."  
  
"And that is?" Sally asked impatiently.  
  
"Not a word of what you see may you speak, write, or mime. Nothing Sally."  
  
"You have my word of honor." She assured him as she pulled his shirt over his head.  
  
~*~  
  
"Where have you been Sally?" Wufei asked as he tromped in the backdoor covered in dirt. His children followed in his wake.  
  
"I've been playing doctor that's what. I cannot believe the stupidity of some people!" She ranted as she paced the room with the phone stuck to her ear. She ignored the warning look Alex gave her and continued, "Can you believe they didn't even bother to stitch his wound closed? All they did was apply a bandage! No wonder its been reopening and bleeding!"  
  
"How many stitches?" Wufei asked. He could gage how bad a mood she was in by that.  
  
"Thirty. Thirty! Darn it Quatre, pick up the darn phone! Its Sally!" She half yelled into the receiver. Everyone edged out of the room to avoid the storm of her temper.  
  
"Sally, you don't have to shout." Quatre told her as he picked up the phone. "I'm not deaf you know."  
  
Sally visibly made a bid to control her temper. When she had herself under control enough not to yell she said, "I know that Quatre. Its not you I'm mad at so I shouldn't be yelling at you. My apology."  
  
"Apology accepted, now what's going on over there? Did Wufei kill one of your prize roses again?" he joked. It was an ongoing joke. The year Sally and Wufei had gotten married Quatre had given them a rose to plant. It was one of the best out of his personal garden and Sally had treasured it. One day Wufei had gone into the garden to dig it up and move it and he got distracted. He accidentally chopped off half the route system and when Sally came to the garden three days later it was just lying forgotten on the grass, stone dead. She hadn't spoke to her husband for a week after that.  
  
"No he didn't kill one of my roses. I'm calling in regards to Alex."  
  
"Oh no. What has he done?"  
  
"Its nothing he's done. He's passed out on the bed in the guestroom. I just got a look at the shot wound. Not only was the bullet still lodged that but it wasn't stitched or cleaned! It wasn't even dressed properly!" She reined her temper again, took a deep breath and counted to three. "I'd like him to stay here for the remainder of the time he'll be here."  
  
"I wasn't aware that he was that bad off." Quatre said, sincerely concerned.  
  
"He's lucky I caught the infection before it spread. He's fine now but he's going to be hurting for quite a while. He's lucky it didn't hit any vital organs."  
  
"Very lucky. I'm sure no one would mind if he stayed there. I don't think anyone would want to jeopardize his health or their lives if you got hold of them."  
  
"I'm glad we're agreed. Goodbye Quatre."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Sally hung up the phone and brushed a stray hair from her face. 'The things I have to deal with', she thought and smiled wryly.  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"Alex, I thought you were asleep. You shouldn't be moving so soon after what I did!" She went over to him and steered him to a chair, which he sagged down into, giving Sally a small but grateful smile. Then his face turned hard and serious.  
  
"I need the phone and I need Heero and Duo's numbers now."  
  
"Oh, give me a few minutes and I'll have it for you, but after that you rest."  
  
"Sally, I'd be resting now if it wasn't a matter of life or death." The edge to his voice frightened her and her head swirled with the meaning of that simple sentence. Mechanically she gave him the number and watched helplessly as he listened to the rings.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Heero?"  
  
"What the heck do you want Alex?" Heero growled into the phone.  
  
"Get the heck out of there. Someone's going to try to-" A gunshot in the background made him stop short. "Don't try to fight them. They're expecting that. Take the. the trapdoor under the kitchen floor. It leads out to the stream behind the mansion. It's partially hidden by the bank so they shouldn't see you leave. Hurry. The trap door is located under the stove." He would have said more but the dial tone started buzzing in his ear. 'I wonder how much of what I said he heard,' Alex thought.  
  
He then had Sally rattle off Duo's number. After five rings Hilde picked the phone up. "Hello?"  
  
"Hilde, its Alex."  
  
"Hi Alex! We were expecting you today. Are you at the airport? Or-"  
  
"Shut up and listen! Don't panic, but get the kids and Duo and get out of there as quickly as you can. You've only got five minutes. Hurry Hilde, please. I don't want anything to happen to any of you." He heard the phone drop from her hands and her yelling Duo's name. Then he heard Duo curse and then the line went dead. "Are we expecting a storm?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"The line's dead."  
  
"Try the cell phone." She said, handing Alex the tiny phone.  
  
"Its dead also."  
  
"That's odd. I wonder what happened? Any ideas? Alex?" Alex's eyes were vacant. She shook him and he blinked once before he turned his gaze on her. 'Didn't he have green eyes last time I saw him?' she wondered as she looked into the smoky gray depths.  
  
"Every Preventer has a very well hidden safe house right?"  
  
"Alex you're starting to scare me. What's going on?"  
  
"Answer me!" he yelled at her. Wufei came running into the room.  
  
"What in the devils name is going on in here?" he yelled.  
  
"Wufei, we need to go somewhere where we won't be found. It has to be well hidden, so well hidden that not even a master spy could find it." Alex stated. Wufei didn't ask any questions, he been there when Alex had predicted Relena's assassination and he knew he wasn't kidding.  
  
"This way."  
  
~*~  
  
"Alex, are you sure you weren't just imagining something? We've been down her for three hours and there hasn't been a peep from the house." Sally whispered into the gloom of the underground bunker.  
  
"I'm starting to doubt myself too. I'm not sure anymore. Everything is so jumbled together that its not but one big mess. I can't tell if it was suppose to happen today or next year or in our next lifetimes. I just don't know." He whispered.  
  
"I'm hungry mommy." Maya said.  
  
"I'll go up and get something for us to eat." Wufei whispered to her and moved away from them towards the stairs. He tripped on the first one and before he could move the sound of gattling guns and other weapons were heard upstairs. Everyone in the bunker stayed absolutely still and quiet.  
  
"There's no one here!" they heard somebody yell.  
  
"I guess they went out for diner or something. We'd better scram before they get home. Retreat!" A dozen of more people were heard fleeing the house above them and all of them breathed a little easier.  
  
It was another hour before they dared to leave the safety of the underground shelter. When they did Sally started crying and everyone else stared wide-eyed at the scene before them. Bullets had ripped through walls and pictures, furniture and curtains, hardly anything in the main room was unscathed. Upstairs was a little better but not by much.  
  
"We should leave." Wufei said, touching his wife's shoulder. Sally didn't speak, just turned to him and nodded. Silently she herded the children to the back of the house to pack a few belongings. Alex followed in their wake and returned to the kitchen a moment later carrying his bag. It hadn't been lucky enough to escape the bullets. The only thing in the bag that hadn't suffered was the journal and the picture.  
  
Alex sagged down into a chair in the kitchen to wait. Wufei joined him five minutes later. "Thank you, for saving our lives. I will be forever in debt to you."  
  
"You shouldn't say that. You'd only be saying you're in debt to Shinigami." Alex muttered. His voice was muffled by his bag, which he'd laid his head on. He didn't see Wufei's eyes widen but he heard his gasp. Alex lifted his head and looked at him. "Death and destruction follows me wherever I go. I told you that when I came. I am the Shinigami."  
  
"Duo's child." Wufei stated more than questioned.  
  
"Perhaps, perhaps not. You'll never know." Sally and the kids returned then so the conversation ended.  
  
They all hurried out to the car and went about leaving in total silence. They turned off the lights and crept out of the driveway. It was so dark that Alex couldn't see who'd sat on which side of him but he knew the kids were there. Gently he bid them to lay down with their heads across his lap. They both fell asleep that way.  
  
"Will someone tell me when we get there?" Alex requested as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  
  
"Why are you so tired? You've been through worse before this. Its not as bad as when Heero punched you." Sally said. She tried to sound light hearted but her voice came out flat.  
  
"Sally? You remember how I went to sleep in the car afterwards?"  
  
"Yeah. You sleep like a log."  
  
"I didn't fall asleep. I fainted." In spite of herself Sally laughed a little.  
  
"And here I thought you were stronger than Heero." Wufei joked.  
  
"No where near as strong. The only reason I bested him in that fight was because he got careless. Had be been paying more attention to the fight and less to you I would have surely lost. And it was just a simple acrobatics trick with a little twist to it."  
  
"Acrobatics?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~*~  
  
"Sally? Wufei? Alex? What are you doing here?" Quatre asked as he caught sight of them from behind Rachide.  
  
"We couldn't think of anywhere else to go so we came to L-4. Oh Quatre, it's terrible! Our house! All of our things." Sally sobbed as if it were just sinking in.  
  
"Come in. To tell the truth I was expecting you. Heero, Duo, and their families are already here. The only person I haven't heard from is Trowa."  
  
"You haven't heard from Trowa?" Alex gasped. Quickly he searched through the jumble of memories in his head. After a moment he let out the breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding and smiled slightly. "No one thought him important enough to attack. He really has no influential power over any of you, or so they think."  
  
"That's good to hear." Quatre answered. "I'm glad he's safe. I was getting worried about him." Quatre heard a car speeding up the driveway and smiled slightly. "Speak of the devil."  
  
"Quatre, what in heavens name is going on?!" Trowa yelled as he brought the car to a screeching halt and jumped out.  
  
"Evidently whoever is trying to do away with us wanted to get them out of the way as quickly as possible." He indicated Wufei and Sally and the others.  
  
"There hasn't been any attempt on your life?"  
  
"None yet." Quatre's turned and beckoned them to follow them as he shut the door. He led them into a sitting room that Alex recognized immediately. A cheery fire was burning in the hearth and the few people gathered there were talking in hushed voices.  
  
"You said yet." Trowa prompted.  
  
"I'm not sure if they left me out on purpose or if they just want to lull us into a false sense of calm."  
  
"So they've crammed us all together again. We're like rats in a trap." Zechs observed from his seat by the fire. Alex noticed that there was a bandage around his arm. Zechs caught him staring at it and said, "I was stupid enough to try and fight them Alex, but I thank you for the warning. You saved our lives tonight."  
  
Everyone else in the room muttered quiet thankyous. Alex just lowered his head so he wouldn't look directly at them and said, "I just wish I could have done more."  
  
"You're only one person. We don't expect you to be able to do everything." Quatre assured him.  
  
"Hilde, were you able to save anything from the fire?" Alex asked hopefully.  
  
"Very little." she answered as her fingers deftly stroked the oaken frame of a picture. Alex knew it was the one of her wedding day.  
  
"And no one else was hurt?" he pushed.  
  
"No. The children are fine, if shaken. I'm the only casualty." Zechs tried his hand at making it into a joke, but it fell flat.  
  
"Bed for you young man." Sally ordered as started to gently push him from the room. "Where's he staying Quatre?"  
  
"Same room as last time." He said absently as he looked out the window, watching the shadows intently. There wasn't anything outside but he still needed to satisfy his fear.  
  
"Sally, you and the kids need some clothes now, don't you?" Hilde asked as Sally left the room.  
  
"Yes. I'm sure Alex does to."  
  
"Shall we go out tomorrow?" Sally saw through the ruse. Hilde didn't want to be trapped at Quatre's the next day. She needed to get out so she could forget what had happened that night, no matter for how long.  
  
"Yes."  
  
~*~  
  
When Sally left Alex flopped down on the bed and curled up into a tight ball. He didn't bother to remove any of his clothes. His stomach was killing him. He'd been suffering for the past hour and it was only getting worse.  
  
'Much worse,' he realized dimly when he saw it was only 10:45. 'Oh god! I wish I would die. Death has to be better than this suffering.' His stomach chose that time to rebel and he was glad he hadn't eaten. 'If I had, I might be in an even worse condition.'  
  
That night was even more miserable than the night before for Alex. His stomach didn't settle down until 12:30. Then he didn't fall asleep until 1:00 because he was still feeling sick. 'Great. I'm going to be like a walking zombie in the morning. I'm not going to be much use to anyone.'  
  
~*~  
  
"Duo, I need to ask you a favor." Alex said the next morning as Duo stepped away from the door. Duo, who'd been reading up until then, gave a frightened yelp and leaped off the bed.  
  
"Don't you make any NOISE?!" He demanded as he tried to get his racing pulse to slow down. "You could give a man a heart attack!"  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Next time I'll bang a few pots and pans together before I come in." Duo just rolled his eyes at him.  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"I need a weapon."  
  
~*~  
  
Cathy, Hilde, and Sally walked down the street in front of him. Both were carrying bags loaded down with clothes for them and their charges. They'd decided to leave the kids home so they wouldn't slow them down.  
  
"It's a nice day out today." Cathy remarked as she shaded her eyes with her hand. "Oh, I do believe we're going to have company." She pointed and everyone looked over to see Duo, Heero, and Relena walking towards them. "Hey Heero! Hey Relena! Hey Duo!" she hailed them. They waved back, smiles on their sad faces.  
  
"How about we get some ice-cream?" Relena suggested. "I know this great little shop just around the corner. I went there on my last official visit."  
  
"Sure." everyone agreed. It wasn't long before everyone was happily munching on ice-cream cones. 'It's impossible to be sad when its this beautiful out and you have ice- cream to boot,' Alex thought as he licked his cone happily. He sighed contentedly, but he remembered it was time for him to check and see if anything having to do with the future had changed.  
  
Just as he stumbled across a painful memory he caught sight of a man taking a gun out from under his coat. To the others it looked like Alex reacted instantly, pushing Cathy in front of the conversing Relena and Hilde. The shot rang out and a crimson red started to flow from Cathy's shoulder. At the same time Alex whipped a gun out from inside the waistband of his jeans. Without thinking, he fired it.  
  
The man let out a groan and slumped to the ground. The people on the street screamed and ran for cover, but the fight was already over. Alex dropped the gun like it was a viper waiting to bite him and ran to Cathy. "I'm so sorry Cathy. I couldn't find any other way to save everyone. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have stopped you from getting hurt but I couldn't let it hit Hilde. I just couldn't, I know she would have lived but I couldn't." he babbled as he knelt by her.  
  
"Oh, this hurts." She moaned. Alex felt along his neck to locate something, then he reached out and pressed on hers. Instantly she stilled.  
  
"What did you do to her?!" Heero demanded, pushing him out of the way. He felt for her pulse and relaxed a little when he found it. Duo walked back over to them, already haven examined the body. Heero looked at him in silent question and Duo shook his head.  
  
"Why'd you kill him you imbecile?!" Heero yelled as he stood and grabbed Alex's shirt between his fingers.  
  
"I did what I had to do. Why the hell did you get in my way? Do you know how many times I had to see this? How many times I had to see one of you die? This was the only way Heero, so shut up! Just leave me alone!" Alex yelled back at him as he freed himself from Heero's grip. "If you'd stop trying to play the shining prince all the time none of this would have happened!"  
  
Wailing sirens stopped them from arguing any farther. The cops showed up and took their statements before sending Cathy away to the hospital accompanied by Sally. Quatre came to pick them up, but Duo and Alex opted to walk.  
  
When they were in sight of the house Duo said, "Thank you, for saving Hilde."  
  
"I had to."  
  
Alex said that with so much conviction that Duo couldn't help himself from asking, "Why?"  
  
Alex looked at him like he was crazy before answering, "It would have killed your baby."  
  
"What?!"  
  
Alex looked confused. "You didn't know? Damn it!" he yelled as he ran up the few steps to the door, threw it open, and rushed into the house. Duo cursed silently and ran after him. He was way too young to be taking on the mission that had been given to him. Yeah, he was the same age they'd been, but. he didn't deserve it.  
  
'He may be secretive but he's still a good kid!' Duo thought angrily and wished death on whoever had sent him. He found Alex had collapsed on a heap on the floor crying. "Alex?" Duo asked as he knelt down beside him. Immediately Alex sat up and dried his tears, and managed only to sniffle a few times before he'd regained his composure.  
  
"I'm sorry Duo. I didn't mean to make you worry. Please forgive me." Alex said distantly as he started to move towards the back stairs. "I seem to be doing that to a lot of people right now. You shouldn't be taking care of me. Its suppose to be the other way around."  
  
"Alex," Duo said quietly, "its okay to cry. Everyone does. It's only normal human behavior."  
  
"But I'm not suppose to act normal. I'm suppose to be a cold, emotionless, avenging angel." He said as he retreated up the stairs. His voice sounded different, and choked with emotion. Even as he fought them back tears streamed down his face, leaving tracks that s  
  
'Why could have taught a kid to be like that? He acts almost like Heero did.' he stopped and stood completely still. Dr. J had trained Heero to be a perfect killing machine. Could it also be that he'd trained Alex to be what he was? 'An avenging angel? Dr. J always called Heero a perfect soldier.'  
  
"Duo?"  
  
"Quatre, is Cathy going to be okay?"  
  
"She'll be fine. She's mad about what happened and she hurts but there won't be any perminate injuries. Relena told me that the doctor said there wouldn't be anything to remind her but a scar."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Hey Quatre, do you know if those crazy old scientists are still alive?"  
  
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. You'd be better off asking Heero." Quatre said guardedly. "Why?"  
  
"Never mind. Just wondering."  
  
Quatre looked at him skeptically for a moment before he shrugged. "Like I said. I couldn't tell you. Hey, can you help me fix dinner?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"Without eating it in the process." Quatre warned.  
  
"Ah, you're no fun Q-man!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Duo, will you please go get Alex? I'll finish up in here. Oh, and get the others too."  
  
"Sure thing Quatre." Duo left the kitchen reluctantly and headed down the hall to the library. Most of his friends were there. "Hey it's time for dinner, people! Lets put the books down and start moving!" As an afterthought he said, "And find the others. We wouldn't want them to miss a meal."  
  
He walked back towards the kitchen cheerily, thinking of the mouthwatering food that was sitting on the table. 'Walk past the door,' he mentally coached himself. 'Pass the door. Alex's room is just down the next hall. Then you can eat.'  
  
Once past the kitchen his willpower wasn't tried as much, but his mind was still in the kitchen. He was so distracted by his thoughts of food that he didn't even bother to knock before he opened Alex's door. What he saw inside shocked him.  
  
***  
  
Alex cried himself into an exhausted sleep on his bed when he reached his room. He didn't sleep for long but it was enough for him to feel somewhat less plagued with unwanted emotions. This didn't last long however, because the magnitude of what he'd done came crashing down on him. 'I've killed a man. I killed my friends father. She'll never be borne. I'll be all lone.'  
  
He roughly brushed a tear away. 'Stop that you niny,' he commanded silently to himself. 'You knew that you'd have to protect them at all costs. They're more important than you and you're needs.' He sat up and knew that he'd plunged himself into a vortex of emotional turmoil. 'A shower, that's what I need,' he decided. 'I'll be able to think straight after I take a shower.'  
  
He wasn't feeling any better when he shut off the water and wrapped a towel around himself. If anything, he felt worse. Guilt lay like a stone in his chest. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about what had happened. He'd tried to do things without hurting anyone and someone had ended up dying. He'd had to keep going back and making different choices.  
  
'Damn it. If Heero hadn't gotten in the way he wouldn't have died. Neither would Sally or Wufei. Why does he have to be so stubborn? I will probably have been noticed because of him. One time streamer can't hide from another for long if they use their streaming devices recklessly.' But Alex knew it wouldn't be Heero's fault at all if the person he was searching for found him.  
  
'They told me that it was fine to let them die if I had to. That's what I should have done,' he thought as he started to pull a shirt over his head. A sound from the door made him look up. "Duo!" he cried in surprise. Duo was just staring at him, wide eyed. Quickly he pulled the door shut and started yelling. Alex was left standing there stupidly. When he finally got a grip on himself he finished pulling on his shirt and put his hat on.  
  
***  
  
"Quatre! Heero! Wufei! Get your butts up here!" Duo shouted back down the hall. He heard muttered curses as they all came running. Heero and Wufei both had their guns drawn when they ran around the corner.  
  
"What's going on here?!" Quatre demanded from behind them.  
  
"Duo, I can explain!" Alex said when he jerked his door open. His mouth formed into a silent O and his, now blue eyes, widened as he caught sight of Heero, Wufei, and Quatre standing there. "Uh-oh." he whispered.  
  
"Uh-oh? What is going on?!" Quatre demanded again.  
  
"Why'd you call us back here Maxwell?" Wufei growled at him.  
  
"This is why!" Duo yelled as he reached out and tore Alex's hat off his head. Hair tumbled down his back in a cascading brown waterfall. Alex's eyes widened in shock as he tried to grab his hat back but he knew it was in vain.  
  
"Our he is really a she." Duo said calmly.  
  
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Dream Maker: *evil crazy laughter* How'd ya like it? I bet you weren't expecting that huh? *more laughter*  
  
Christa: *looking at the shocked looks on the fan's faces as they turn to rage* *sweatdrop* Dream? I think we really need to get the next chapter up.  
  
Dream Keeper: Okay, I'm almost done, I promise! But you might have to wait a while. I'm going back to school tomorrow so I won't have nearly enough time to write. *dances around the room with Ayako* Its my first day of High School!  
  
Christa: *tear* Yeah. School's starting so guess what the muse gets to help with? *shudders* Report writing and homework.  
  
Dream Keeper: Just wanted to get this up for you while I had a chance. Okay, I hope I'll have the next chapter up sometime this month but I've got like, 5 other fics going so it may take a while. The next chapter I have to write is claimed by Tragic Blessings, so you people who're reading it should be happy! *beams* Okay, bye!  
  
Christa: Don't forget to R&R which means read AND REVIEW!  
  
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	11. WHAT?

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Ak! Sorry AGAIN for being away for so long. We've been really loaded down with homework and this idiot has had be helping her with her music and her English work! *makes a face*  
  
Dream Keeper: No one asked you to help, though I am grateful even if it is really easy junk. *sigh* Yeah! I'm the top student in my English class! *does a dance around the room with Christa* Okay, this chapter may be a bit jerky because I'm out of practice.. So please forgive me and my muse.  
  
Christa: And also, this chapter goes out to Ayako, Lady Star, mooncancer, and Firesong, or is it Raging Fire now? Can't keep track.... hmm.. gotta check that out.. If there are any other loyal reviewers we'll dedicate the next chapter to you also! *glomps all the reviewers* Okay, on with the fic!  
  
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"Our he is really a she." Duo said calmly.  
  
"What?!" Wufei finally managed to stutter after a moments shock. "How in the world. why." he trailed off, unable to finish a coherent thought.  
  
"I can explain everything." Alex said franticly, searching each of the shocked faces in turn for some kind of sign that they'd give her a chance.  
  
"I think you had better explain yourself _now_." Heero said as he leveled his gun at Alex. "Start by telling us your name. Your _real_ name." The voice that he'd come to associate as Alex's was much too masculine and void of emotion for the girl sitting before them.  
  
"I told you my name was Alex, Heero." she said to them, her voice still bland and deeper than it should have been.  
  
"That's a boy's name, not a girls!" Duo burst out.  
  
"It is commonly associated as a boy's but it can also double as a girls. Alexander is the masculine version and Alexandra or Alexandria are the feminine versions, though I don't see what a name has anything to do with this. Its something other people give you, there's no sense worrying about it," she snapped at him. Duo faintly remembered when he'd said the exact same words to his friend Trowa.  
  
"Knock it off with the fake voice Alex, we already know you're a girl." Heero snapped just as venomously.  
  
"Huh, my voice? Oh." She reached behind her damp locks and unclasped a wire so thin it was almost invisible. On the wire dangled a nearly microscopic chip. A drop of blood formed at the hollow of her neck and Alex applied pressure there with the neckline of her shirt. "Happy now Heero?" she asked them. Much to their surprise, instead of her voice being sweet, it sounded old and rusty, cracking on every syllable. She smiled wryly at them. "Are you going to shoot me or not?"  
  
"I don't have to. You are at my mercy."  
  
"Stop it Heero." Quatre demanded, his voice carrying an edge as sharp as a knife. You will not lay a finger on that girl and if you kill her, I swear that I will kill you myself with my bare hands." Everyone in the group, including Alex, stared at him, mouths agape. Heero was so surprised that he momentarily loosened his hold on his gun.  
  
Alex lunged and disarmed Heero in a single swift move, dropping and rolling behind him, and coming gracefully to her feet. She didn't bother to raise the gun, just held it out to Quatre. He took it and placed it in his back pocket after emptying the chamber and taking the clip out.  
  
"Thank you Alex," he said calmly to her.  
  
"How come you're being so calm about this Quatre? He, err, she lied to you, she got Cathy shot, and she--"  
  
"She saved Hildie and Relena's life, she kept us all alive and on top of all this, I already knew she was a girl."  
  
"What?!" she croaked since that was as close to a screech as she could manage.  
  
"That memory, you looked in the mirror." Alex's eyes widened but she said nothing.  
  
"Okay, I don't think I want to know. What in the world is that and what is up with your voice?"  
  
"I'll explain it all to you in a moment. If you don't mind, I need to see Sally." She indicated the slight bleeding of her wound with a hand. All of them had the sense to know Sally would kill them all if they didn't allow the girl to see her.  
  
"Fine." Was all Heero said before he stormed off down the hall to summon the resident doctor.  
  
~*~  
  
"Now, since I seem to be at your disposal, ask me any question you wish." Alex mentally cursed herself for being stupid enough not to lock the door to her room and for not taking the voice override device off every night like she'd thought she should have.  
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell us you were a girl?" Heero snapped, peeved as ever at her.  
  
"You never asked me so I wasn't inclined to tell you. Next question?"  
  
"Why didn't you feel inclined to tell us?"  
  
"It would have compromised my mission, I thought if I kept it from you I would be safer, and I had instructions that unless you asked, to tell you nothing more than what you absolutely needed to know."  
  
"Why did you let Cathy get hit instead of anyone else, and where'd you get the gun?"  
  
"It wouldn't have hit anyone if you hadn't insisted on playing hero you bastard! If you're implying that I chose for her to be the hit you're wrong! I didn't want anything to happen to any of you but I had to choice thanks to you!" she said, her voice choked with emotion and rising with every word until it was an unbearable screech. Everyone in the room, including herself, flinched.  
  
"You're saying it's my fault?" Heero growled, his voice turning deadly.  
  
"If I hadn't had to keep trying to go back and redo everything to keep YOU from dying Cathy wouldn't have a hole in her right now!" She shouted.  
  
"Ouch, could you tone it down a bit Alex? Sheesh, has your voice always been like that?" Duo complained, trying to end the one on one interrogation between Heero and her. They were shooting questions back and forth so fast that no one else could get a word in edgewise.  
  
"No, its only this way because of the device I had around my neck." She pulled her shirt collar down far enough that they could all see the four nearly microscopic puncture wounds on her neck. "It was a partial implant that made it possible for me to sound the way I did and take on the masculine role of Alex. Unfortunately, the side effect is that it warps your voice. In my case it is beyond recognition.  
  
"If it ever goes back to normal I assume that at least one of you will be able to place me from a school you went to, or.. somewhere else. The bad thing is, at least for you, the affects may, or may not, be permanent. Had I worn in for another day, I know it would have been irreversible."  
  
All of them stared at her for a moment before Trowa spoke up. "What are those white pills you have hidden somewhere?"  
  
"What?!" she asked too quickly to be curious, confirming that she did indeed have them.  
  
"I saw you taking one the morning you came, and this morning also. What are they?"  
  
"I can't tell you," she said quietly, her dove gray eyes pleading with him to understand.  
  
"Answer his question Alex. You're among friends, there's no reason you shouldn't trust us." Quatre said encouragingly, glad for once that the girls were all out of the house on another shopping spree with Zechs keeping watch over them.  
  
Her face grew somber for a moment before she said something aloud that seemed to carry much heartache and anger, something that she never meant to say, something that made her sound like a frightened little girl for just a moment.  
  
"Don't listen to any of them. All they will tell you is lies, all they will give you I deceit, all they will cultivate is doubt. None of them are worth talking with if it isn't vital. None of them are so important that they can't be taken out of the picture if the need arises. None of them can, or will, help you and none of them will offer you any shelter from what you are. You are a murderer Alex, don't forget it. That is the job you were born for and that is the job you will fulfil. None of them could ever understand you. They will only see you as an utter monstrosity. Hide what you are, right down to the fact that you are female."  
  
A moment of silence followed and it was so thick you could have cut it with a knife. It left no doubt in anyone's minds who had trained her. As Quatre looked around the room it became evident that not even Heero was unaffected by what she'd said. In fact, much to anyone's surprise, he looked upon her with concern written all over his face.  
  
"Why do you listen to what they said to you before you left?" Quatre asked softly.  
  
"You know what happened Quatre. I'm a murderer of friends and enemies alike. My best friend will never be borne and my hands are so stained with blood that I'm afraid they will never be clean." She shuddered involuntarily.  
  
"And ours are not? It doesn't matter what you did in your past, it matters what kind of future you make for yourself. As long as you live for the good of the world you will be able to live a normal life just like any of us." Trowa said quietly. "Drag yourself out of that self invoked pit of despair and get on with your life. You're here now and you're out of the Doctor's reaches. They can't control you any more."  
  
"Trowa, you never murdered in cold blood just for the sake of revenge and you're wrong. They still control me even without being here. Do you think I'm the only one who can change the past? They can make it to where I was never borne, but that doesn't matter. I'm here and I've got a mission to finish so if you'll finish this interrogation?"  
  
"It doesn't matter?" Wufei shouted. "What about us then?"  
  
"They can just as easily go back, kill me, and train my older sister. It wouldn't mean more to them than swatting a fly."  
  
"You speak of it so calmly," he said sarcastically.  
  
Alex looked him in the eye and stated, "There hasn't been a single day that has gone by in the last four years of my life that I longed for death, slow or quick. The only reason I never killed myself is because I have a mission here to finish." She shrugged, "Maybe after this I will be able to embrace the sweet arms of the angel of death, but until then my duty is to protect you."  
  
"What?!" Quatre shouted. "That's the only reason you didn't kill yourself? Did you ever think how your parents would feel?"  
  
"Quatre, they're dead."  
  
"What about your friends?"  
  
"Also dead. Everyone around me dies Quatre."  
  
"So why didn't you just kill yourself and save yourself the trouble of training?"  
  
Alex looked at the floor and shrugged. For a moment she said nothing, but then a barely audible whisper was heard admitting, "I tried to once, but I couldn't. I didn't have the backbone to."  
  
Quatre relaxed entirely and sat back in his chair. "Its not that you didn't have the backbone Alex, it's that you had too much. You knew you couldn't die because people needed you and because you weren't weak enough to choose the cowards way out of your duty. Hell, you couldn't choose the cowards way out of life." He emphasized his statement by cursing, which he VERY rarely did.  
  
"You had a sister?" Trowa asked suddenly.  
  
"Yes, I told you about her the night I came here to stay. She killed herself."  
  
"Did you have any other siblings?"  
  
"Yes." Alex said hesitantly, not sure in which direction the conversation had turned.  
  
"Younger or older?"  
  
"I don't know. I never met-"  
  
"It was younger then." Trowa said, cutting him off. "Well, that definitely cuts down the number of people who could be your parents to three couples."  
  
"What?!" Alex exclaimed, her voice returning a little bit back to normal, as she realized just how much information she had given them.  
  
"That leaves it at just myself and whoever I marry, Quatre and his future bride, and you, Heero, and Relena."  
  
"She is most assuredly not my daughter." Quatre said, holding up his hands.  
  
"Quatre!" Alex cried as she realized how he'd betrayed her.  
  
"You never swore me to secrecy Alex. You might as well tell us." Alex's face paled considerably, which he'd thought was nearly impossible since it was already a chalky white. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Heero pale also as it dawned on him what Trowa had said.  
  
"How dare you!" She screamed at them as she ran from the room before any of them could stop her.  
  
"I think that went well." Duo said sarcastically.  
  
"Shove it, Duo." Heero snapped as he stalked off to some unknown location in the house. Duo followed his example. A moment later they heard a car start up and drive off.  
  
"You two shouldn't have done that. That just proved to her what those loony scientists said about us." Wufei rebuked them sternly, his anger more than evident. "I don't care what kind of games you two are playing, but that kid is messed up really bad and you two aren't helping matters any. She's like a horse. If you're its friend it will be yours, but if you beat it, it will never trust you again. You two just blew it, maybe for all of us." With that, he too left the room.  
  
"I'm beginning to think our plan wasn't such a good idea." Trowa said to Quatre, who just nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
Alex wasn't seen for two days after the incident with the men, but food was reported stolen from the kitchen every day. Quatre had ordered that the house be searched but it was a fairly large mansion and the chances of finding someone who really didn't want to be caught were slim to none. All of the men gave up looking after the initial sweep of the house, knowing that she'd come out of hiding when she was ready to.  
  
~*~  
  
Alex stole down the stairs with the stealth of a cat. She'd waited until past midnight to make her move to ensure that all but the most active of night owls would be in their beds and long past asleep. She stuck to the shadows just to be safe and quietly made her way to the mansions garage. There were a multitude of cars sitting there, waiting for her to choose one. Knowing that it would be the least visible Alex chose a pure black pickup truck.  
  
She made sure to take extra care to obscure the numbers on the license plate with mud so the car wouldn't be traced back to Quatre. Then, trusting that her luck would hold, she opened the garage door and threw the car in reverse. When she was outside the garage she drove as quickly away from the mansion as possible.  
  
***  
  
Quatre was in the kitchen making a cup of tea. He hadn't slept much the past two nights since Alex had gone into hiding. Guilt ate away at him like a caterpillar at a leaf and it was absolutely maddening. He'd never been so helpless to do something about a mistake he'd made in his life.  
  
He was just getting ready to head off to his room to see if he could go back to sleep when he heard the sound of one of the garage doors opening. "What in the world?" he said as he went over to a window and looked out so see his black pickup go shooting up the driveway and out onto the road. A cold chill swept over him as he realized who was driving it.  
  
***  
  
'Huh, I never thought I'd be doing this again. Wait a minute, I've never done this before. I've never even had a driving lesson!' Alex thought and felt fear rising like water from a spring in her chest. "Be rational now Alex. You have driven before, you've just never stolen a car. or have you. Oh great, I don't think this was such a good idea."  
  
She knew she had to talk to herself of go completely crazy so she concentrated on saying the most obvious things she knew. It would at least keep her sane as she drove. "My name is Alex. I am twenty years old, no, I'm fifteen or. am I ten. No, I'm fifteen, I think. I have an older brother who's name is Daric, no, that's not right.. I had an older sister but she was killed. no, she killed herself. Oh damn it! Pull it together Alex! You know this crap! It's a stupid mental exercise that you've had to do a million times!" She sighed and tightened her grip on the steering wheel. "But I've never had a thousand lifetimes running around in my head before."  
  
'I could just end it,' she thought suddenly. 'I could just drive the car off the road. Quatre would be upset that I messed up his car, but. But he'd be dead by morning you fool. Keep your mind on the mission. Besides, you don't have the guts to do it anyway. You're not a coward, so no taking the cowards way out.'  
  
Alex fought with herself between trying to do her mental exercises as she drove along the nearly deserted road. It wasn't more than ten minutes later that she reached her rendezvous point. She pulled the car in, cut the lights, and killed the engine. If anyone drove by they'd think it was just some night worker pulled off on the side of the road to get some shut eye so they would kill themselves by running off a cliff.  
  
A slight tap on the window made Alex look up and pale. Right outside her window stood David, Dr. J's apprentice.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She hissed at him as he fished in the duffel bag he carried for something.  
  
"You could be at least a little more grateful, you know," he snapped at her.  
  
"I need Dr. J, not you David! I need to know that the situation hasn't deteriorated that badly!"  
  
"Oh, its worse than you think!" he said cheerfully as he pulled out a bottle of white pills and handed them to her. "Professor G and Master O are dead. They were assassinated three days ago. Doctor S is in a coma and Dr. J is too scared to leave the lab. Don't know what happened to Instructor H. No one's seen or heard from him in a week so he's officially written off as MIA."  
  
"Wonderful." A spasm of pain wracked her body and left her so weak she fell foreword onto the steering wheel. David cursed in twelve different languages and gently hauled her out of the car and lowered her carefully to the ground.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were this far gone!?" he hissed at her. "At this rate you've. the mission."  
  
"I knew the risks when I accepted the mission and I don't have a moments regret. Please though, I have to get back to the mansion before the car is missed." David moved to help her back up but she clutched at his arm. "Please, make the pain stop. I can't think straight. I've got a thousand different memories for a single action. Please, help me," she begged.  
  
"You took your voice implant out." He said matter-of-factly as he noticed her severely mistreated voice.  
  
"I had to. I had no choice."  
  
"You've compromised the mission. I'm taking you back with me."  
  
"No! Not when I'm so close. Just fix this problem and I'll go back and work everything out. I think they've only been killed in the future. I can keep them safe if I can find them. Help me."  
  
David nodded curtly and went to retrieve something from the car he'd "borrowed."  
  
~*~  
  
The g-boys were all waiting outside when a black pickup came creeping sluggishly up the driveway. The engine died when it was less than seven feet from them and the door opened.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?"  
  
"What were you thinking?!"  
  
"You could have gotten yourself killed!"  
  
"You suicidal idiot!"  
  
"I ought to shoot you myself!"  
  
"How could you do something so stupid?!" all of them yelled at once. Alex ignored them and tried to exit the car. All she succeeded in doing was fall into a helpless heap on the gravel of the driveway. She tried to stand twice before she gave up and stayed down.  
  
"Damn this weak body," she snarled as she slammed her fist against the ground. Her body chose that moment to rebel. She shuddered and wretched for a moment before finally loosing the fight, and the few contents of her stomach upon the ground. Finally sensing that she wasn't just acting to get out of trouble they all moved forward to help her.  
  
"What have you done to yourself?" Quatre asked as he helped her to stand. He steadied her for a moment so she could get her balance. She took two steps towards the house and collapsed in an unconscious heap on the ground.  
  
"Alex!" they all cried.  
  
Amazingly enough it was Heero that bent down to pick her up and carry her into the house. "Quatre, get some extra blankets. Trowa, get a rag. I want it cold. Duo, get Sally. Wufei, please help me get her into bed. She's shivering but she's burning up with fever. Move!" he yelled when they all stayed rooted to the spot they stood, stunned.  
  
They all did as they were told. Wufei helped Heero by opening doors for him until they reached Alex's room and the others went about their assigned tasks. "Wufei, I need you to help me undress her."  
  
"Say what?!" Wufei balked.  
  
"Her clothes are freezing Wufei, and they're damp. She's sick, she needs to get out of them or she'll only get worse."  
  
"But."  
  
"You can help me or not. Make a decision. It's only down to her undergarments. After that Sally is on her own." Wufei finally grudgingly helped him strip the girl down to her bandages and underwear before pulling the covers back so Heero could lay her down. Sally came in at the moment and shooed them both from the room.  
  
~*~  
  
"Geeze, you're all milling around out here like expectant fathers!" Sally joked as she stepped out into the hall. All heads snapped up to look at her. "Okay, lighten up a bit will ya'? She's fine, it's just a really bad case of the flue." A sigh of relief greeted her welcome advice and all of the young men visibly relaxed. One by one they all drifted off to complete the work they had waiting for them until only Heero remained.  
  
He took a tentative step into the room and leaned back against the doorframe, watching the sleeping girl, wondering who she was. It was a puzzle he wanted to find out, but didn't know how to go about it. "I'll learn who you are Alex. That I promise you." He whispered as he exited the room and went back to his wife.  
  
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Dream Keeper: Okay, it's not as long as I wanted it to be but I already have people throwing pointy objects at me so here it is. EEP! *ducks as a knife goes whizzing past her nose* HELP!  
  
Christa: *also dodging projectiles* Don't look at me! Ak! Okay, okay! It's up already! Hope you liked it. Don't forget to R&R which means read AND REVIEW! Next chapter who knows when! Bye! AK!  
  
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	12. Ultimate Betrayal

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Ak! Sorry AGAIN for being away for so long. We've been really loaded down with homework and this idiot has had be helping her with her music and her English work! *makes a face*  
  
Dream Keeper: No one asked you to help, though I am grateful even if it is really easy junk. *sigh* Yeah! I'm the top student in my English class! And my math class! *does a dance around the room with Christa* Okay, this chapter may be a bit jerky because I'm out of practice.. So please forgive my muse and me.  
  
Christa: And also, this chapter goes out to Ayako, Lady Star, mooncancer, and Firesong, or is it Raging Fire now? Can't keep track.... hmm.. gotta check that out.. If there are any other loyal reviewers we'll dedicate the next chapter to you also! *glomps all the reviewers* Okay, on with the fic!  
  
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"I'll find out who you are, Alex. That I promise you," Alex heard someone say through the fog that had overtaken her awareness. She struggled to make some kind of cocky response, any response, but failed. Instead she fled back into the warm, safe darkness of dreamless sleep.  
  
When she woke again she looked at the alarm clock. "Two thirty," she muttered as she tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness assaulted her and she fell back onto the bed.  
  
"It's about time you woke up," a much too cheerful voice scolded her.  
  
"Ugh, please tell me I'm dead. Oh, wait, I hurt too much to be dead." She opened her eyes and smiled feebly at Quatre, but his look was hard and cold. She sighed and started to explain, "I don't normally have suicidal tendencies. That was meant as a joke, Quatre. Lighten up."  
  
"Not until I know you are in your right mind."  
  
"I'm sorry I stole the car okay? I had to meet someone. It was a life or death situation for all of us."  
  
"And just why was it so important?!" Sally snapped at her as she entered the room.  
  
"God, I haven't even sat up and already I'm being scolded for being a bad little girl," she muttered loud enough for them to hear. She tried again to haul herself up to a sitting position and finally, grudgingly accepted assistance from both of the adults. "It was so important because I couldn't think straight. I couldn't figure out what was the current future, what was past, or anything. I didn't even know my own name, let alone my age. At one point I was convinced I was thirty! I had to get it sorted out, Sally, Quatre."  
  
"And just what are these?" Quatre demanded, holding up the bottle of pills that she had received. She looked away and folded her arms across her chest.  
  
"Why should I tell you anything? You already betrayed me once," she snapped. "I'm starting to think everything those freaked out doctors had to say was right. No one but you have changed from the people I know, or is it knew? I'm not sure anymore. Just go away and leave me alone." Alex rolled over to where her back was facing them. Eventually they gave up and left and only then did she let her silent tears fall. She knew she'd hurt them both deeply but it was for the good of the mission. Always for the mission.  
  
A while later she heard the soft footfalls of a child entering her room. Turning over to face her visitor made relaxed muscles protest but she ignored them. "Hello Kira! How are you today?" Alex asked cheerily.  
  
"I'm fine," the four-year-old told her. "Daddy said you were sick so I brought you this." The little girl handed her a small yellow rose. Alex smiled broadly as she took it from her.  
  
"Thank you Kira. That's the nicest gift anyone has given me in a long time. I really appreciate it."  
  
"It's my birthday today!" the little girl squealed gleefully, unable to keep it a secret any longer. Alex's eyes widened a little but her smile didn't waver.  
  
"You'll be five today then?" At Kira's nod she said, "Well, if you give me that bag I'll give you a present." She watched as Kira drug her sports bag over and when she had it in her hands she unzipped long, shallow inside pouch.  
  
It looked like a normal compartment for pencils and pens, but upon closer inspection one would have found that a piece of Velcro held the bottom down. Alex lifted this and a dark space was revealed. She stuck her hand into it, sinking her arm in up to her elbow, then rummaged around blindly for a long moment before coming up with a medium sized, very lumpy package.  
  
"Here you go," she said to the waiting child as she handed it to her. Kira squealed with joy, thanked her, and unwrapped it. Alex smiled happily after her as she bounded off to show her gift to her mother.  
  
***  
  
"Mommy! Mommy! Look what Alex gave me!" Kira squealed as she ran to her mother. "Alex knew it was going to be my biwthday and she gave me a pwesent!" Relena smiled as her daughter ran up but noted that she sill couldn't make an "R" sound.  
  
"What did Alex give you?" she asked as she knelt down to be at eye level with her daughter. Kira proudly held up her prize. Relena looked at it joyfully for a moment before her face paled. She stood up, ran to the door, and shouted, "Heero!"  
  
***  
  
"So what are we going to do about your daughter?" Heero asked Trowa as they sat in the library.  
  
Trowa sighed and started to correct him, "We don't know for sure-,"  
  
Heero cut him off. "Yes we do know for sure. She has your social skills, your acrobatic skills, your skill with kids, your affect on most adults. Come on Trowa, what more proof do you need?"  
  
"Heero, that doesn't necessarily prove anything," he corrected him. Not that he was against the idea that Alex was his daughter, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions, even if all of the facts pointed to that.  
  
"Trowa, if you do need any more proof she not only has your hair, but your eyes too."  
  
"Contacts."  
  
"She'd just gotten out of the shower. She didn't have time to put contacts in before Duo found her, and she had to have taken them out because the steam would have ruined them." Trowa held up his hands in defeat.  
  
"Fine, I'll concede. As to what to do with her? Isn't it obvious? We'll have to find a way to reverse all the damage those damned doctors did to her and then give her the proper care she needs. I can't ignore her like an illegitimate child. If she's my daughter I have to try to provide her with a home and a family, and pray that if I ever do want to get married that it doesn't drive away the person I want to--,"  
  
"Heero!" Relena screamed down the hall. Both men were up and running down the hall before the sound had died away. Heero had his weapon drawn by the time they got there to find-absolutely nothing amiss.  
  
"What is going on Relena?" Heero demanded angrily. "Why are you screaming like the devil is after you?" Relena couldn't speak, she just pointed to the present Kira was holding. Kira, by this time, was wide-eyed and frightened. Heero immediately holstered the gun. "I don't see anything wrong. Kira's just playing with a-," he stopped short, realizing why Relena was screaming.  
  
***  
  
Alex was just getting a shirt out of her bag to change into when Heero burst into her room yelling incoherently. He ranted for a long time before realizing that she was standing there almost completely naked.  
  
"Haven't you ever heard of modesty?" he yelled as he turned a bright red.  
  
"Haven't you ever heard of privacy?" she shot back tartly, folding her arms angrily in front of her. "Besides, I don't know what modesty is. When you live with five perverted doctors, one curious sixteen-year-old boy, and your father, with only a curtain to offer any privacy you learn to forget the meaning of the word. Especially when the blanket is moth eaten. Now, are you going to stand there or are you going to allow me to dress in peace?"  
  
Heero had already turned his back on her, but at this he walked out of the room. She opened the door several minutes later for him. "Now just what do you want?" she snapped.  
  
"Where did you get this?" Heero demanded, holding up the teddy bear that Alex had given Kira.  
  
"If you must know I got it from Uncle Quatre. It is mine to give to whomever I choose. I did not steal it if that is what you are implying."  
  
"Do you know who this belonged to?"  
  
"Uncle Quatre got it from someone in his family and he gave it to me. That's all I know about it, why?"  
  
"Did you ever see it before Quatre gave it to you?"  
  
"I think a few times but I only vaguely remember it. Why does it matter? I gave it to Kira, it's not something that matters to me. Why are you asking me these questions?" Alex didn't know where Heero was going with the conversation and she didn't want to. Something tugged at the back of her mind but whenever she tried to capture it, the thought fled from her.  
  
"You really didn't know, did you?" Heero's anger ebbed some and his voice lost some of its steely edge.  
  
"Know what?" she asked shakily. Trowa entered the room, Relena right behind him.  
  
"The bear belonged to me," Relena said. Alex shrugged noncommittally.  
  
"So? Why should I care? It's not important."  
  
"Alex, I'm going to ask you a question and I want the truth," Trowa said firmly. "Are Heero and Relena your parents?"  
  
"No."  
  
"That's the first time you've answered a direct question like that. You wouldn't tell us before even if we asked. They are your parents, aren't they?"  
  
"No," she said again, but a little desperation crept into her voice.  
  
"Would you be willing to test that against a DNA test?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Why do you deny it Kira?" Relena asked.  
  
"I'm not Kira! My name is Alex!"  
  
"That's only a name you hide behind, just like Heero isn't my real name. My only excuse is I don't know mine. You don't have one," Heero told her calmly, attacking her with calm logic.  
  
"I'm not Kira! Don't you see that? Kira is sweet and lovable and kind! There is no way a monster like me could ever have been something as gentle as her!" she shouted at them, desperation making her voice shrill even as she fought to control it.  
  
"People can change over time. All I ever knew was the battlefield, but now I'm a circus clown. It doesn't take much for a person to change. One who has seen too much always becomes older than they should be. Why don't you just admit it Kira?" Trowa stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder but she jerked violently away.  
  
"I'm not Kira! My name isn't Kira! My name is Alex! I could never be Kira! Trowa is my father! Heero has never been my father!" she shouted at them. By this time most of the others were gathered in the hall, staying out of sight, but listening intently.  
  
"Are you saying Trowa was the one who helped give you life, or the one that took care of you? Alex, we need to know, am I your father?"  
  
"You're not my father!" she screamed at him as she sank to the floor sobbing. "You're not my father." She sobbed. It was all anyone needed to dispel the remaining doubt in their minds. Everyone out in the hall sensed that they shouldn't be there then and left. Relena was in tears also and Heero was at a loss for anything to do. He'd had everything planned until the moment he had the truth from her.  
  
Trowa came up to him and whispered, "The healing should start as soon as possible," before guiding Relena gently out of the room. Heero had never been a very paternal person to anyone but his own children before so he balked for a moment before he remembered that she was his daughter.  
  
Slowly he moved toward her, knelt down before her, and put his arms around her. She struggled to get away from him but he was too strong for her to break his hold, so she gave up. Instead she lay her head on his shoulder and cried. Heero held her patiently, soothing her much as she had done for Kira, her younger self, Heero reminded himself. Finally her tears were gone and her sobs subsided.  
  
"Done?" Heero asked calmly as he waited for her to collect herself.  
  
He felt her tense and she suddenly pushed him violently away before struggling to her feet. "How dare you!" she hissed at him. "How dare you do something so stupid! I told you I didn't want anyone to know who I am! I told you! You know I can't have any attachments! I should have let you die when I still had the chance!"  
  
"You'd wish death upon your own father?"  
  
"Do not ever call yourself that Heero! You are not my father. You may be a father to Kira but you were never mine. I told the truth when I said that Trowa was my father. He's the one who took care of me after Relena died! You were too wrapped up in. never mind. I don't want to fight with you. What is done is done."  
  
"You could always just go back in time," Heero suggested, wanting to know what she would say.  
  
"No I couldn't. Then the risk would double of whoever is in the timestream finding out who I am. I can't risk it."  
  
"Why didn't you let me die Alex? You said yourself that I am expendable," he probed.  
  
"Of course you're expendable. Every one of you is. I couldn't let you die though. Relena would have been rather upset and I didn't want to deal with a mourning widow, not to mention everyone else. Relena would just be the worst," she replied angrily, but knew that she'd made a mistake when Heero's face hardened and rage burned in his eyes.  
  
"So you're saying that I mean less to you than dirt? And you can't even bring yourself to call Relena mother?" he asked dangerously.  
  
"Yes. That's exactly what I am saying. You are not my parents. My parents are both dead and in the graveyard. You could never replace Trowa or-or his wife. All you ever were to me was a fall-down-drunk! Now are you happy? Get out of my room!"  
  
"How did I get that way Alex? Tell me that? Was it because I had to put up with you?" he sneered, looking for any way to hurt her as much as she was him.  
  
"You really want to know, Heero?" she asked, "You turned down that path when Relena died!"  
  
"How did she die, Kira?"  
  
"Don't! Don't call me that!"  
  
"That's your name isn't it?"  
  
"No! The Kira you knew is dead, gone, buried, and that is where she should, and will remain for the rest of eternity! Make someone besides me into your puppet! Try little Kira! She seems to love you so much, the naive little child she is! She doesn't know that the moment life gets a little bit rough you'll dump her on someone else like a sack of rocks! And she's too young to understand that you don't care anymore! She'll just keep thinking your coming back until dooms day!"  
  
"Is that really what you thought? Why did it affect me so much Kira? What was so horrible about Relena's death that sent me over the edge?" he asked desperately, wanting to know any way to avoid the fate she foretold for him.  
  
"You're really want to know! Ha! Fool! You're the cause of her death! You killed her! You're the reason she's dead! You thought you would protect her by pushing her behind you! You stupid fool! You don't even know anymore how to tell just who they shoot at! You pushed her behind you and she took the bullet that was meant for you! It should have been you that died, and you couldn't handle that! It drove you mad! Madder than the mad hatter!  
  
"But no one had the heart to put you in an institution so we're the one's who had to suffer. Are you happy now Heero? Do you know anymore than you did? Does it make you feel good to know how you made everyone suffer? It certainly doesn't make me feel good! Get out! Get out!" she yelled, picking up the lamp at the side of her bed and throwing it at him. It hit him in the head and he stumbled out the door, holding a hand to his bleeding scalp. Only then did she realize just how far she'd gone. When Sally was done bandaging Heero up she came in to check on her, but she wasn't there.  
  
~*~  
  
"I thought I'd find you out here." Alex spun around on her tree limb to see Zechs standing below her.  
  
"So you found me," she said flatly. "Are you going to try to weasel something out of me too?"  
  
"I'm surprised you have to ask. I don't want anything from you. I just came to make sure you were all right. You gave Heero a pretty nasty bump on the head," he told her as he climbed up the tree and took a seat on the branch. He sat just close enough to be there, but not close enough to invade her space.  
  
"I guess I got really carried away."  
  
"I think you did too. You've really got him angry with you. You also really hurt Relena." He picked a leaf off the tree and started shredding it thoughtfully.  
  
"It's for the good of the mission," she stated firmly.  
  
"For the good of the mission, or because you're afraid to care about them? If I got a second chance at having my parents I would jump at it, but I never will. Both of our parents were ripped cruelly away from us when we were both very young."  
  
"Yes," she agreed dully.  
  
"Are you really so angry with Heero that you can't forgive him? He's a different person from whoever you knew."  
  
"How would you know?" she snapped.  
  
"The Heero I know loves his children more dearly than life itself. The Heero I know never touches alcohol. The Heero I know would never give his problems to others, in fact, if he can help it, he takes theirs from them," he told her. The leaf he had been shredding was now totally in pieces, so he let them sit on his open palm to be carried away by the wind.  
  
"He's never acted any differently towards me than he ever has, and until he proves me wrong, I will never trust him."  
  
"A wound that is not treated carefully will never fully heal. You should try to see if this one can be mended," he advised her.  
  
"It takes an effort on both sides for such a bridge to be crossed," she retorted.  
  
"He has made an effort. You pushed his kindness away."  
  
"It wasn't kindness, he was obligated to do so. Uncle Trowa would have hurt him if he hadn't. It's not like I didn't hear what he said. I may have been crying like a baby but that didn't mean I was deaf."  
  
"Be that as it may, you still should see if you two can patch things up."  
  
Alex sighed and shrugged. "I'll try not to make him any angrier with me, but I can't promise I'll go out of my way to be nice to him. I will try though."  
  
"That's my girl," Zechs said as he gave her a one armed hug. He noted that she didn't tense when he did. He climbed down out of the tree and started back through the gardens but a question stopped him.  
  
"Uncle Zechs, how did you know you could get me to promise?"  
  
Zechs smiled at her and said, "I've been thinking a lot about why you would have been so disappointed in my answer to why I protected you from your father." She winced and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Kira, but that is what you are. There's no way around it. Some things you just have to accept."  
  
"Like the sun rising in the east?"  
  
"Yes. Exactly like that."  
  
~*~  
  
Alex was reading in the library when Heero came into the room. She looked up long enough to mark who it was that entered before going back to her book. Trowa and Wufei also looked up, but they said nothing.  
  
"Hello," he said to them as he entered. Trowa and Wufei murmured a greeting but Alex stayed silent.  
  
"Kira-,"  
  
"Don't call me that. That isn't my name. If you keep that up you could jeopardize my mission."  
  
"Damn the mission for three seconds! They don't mean anything here. When are you going to understand that?" he snapped.  
  
"I can see there is no use trying to talk to you with the pet your in," she said coolly as she snapped her book shut and stood up."  
  
"Why are you still wearing those contacts? We already know who you are," Heero asked just as coldly.  
  
"I'm blind without them and I don't have any clear ones."  
  
"We can get you some. I'd like you to get rid of those."  
  
She whirled to face him. "For one, don't presume to tell me what to do, for two, I just told you that I can't see without them. I mean that."  
  
"And I just said that we could-,"  
  
"Get me new ones," she finished for him. "I guess I'll have to show you. Uncle Quatre, will you please hold these for me?" she asked as she walked over towards him and started to take her contacts out. When she turned around she looked at him with unfocused blue eyes. "Are you happy now Heero?"  
  
Silently Heero moved a chair from where it had been and just as silently set it down. "Walk over to me," he commanded. Alex started forward shakily, one hand out in front of her. Wufei moved to stop her but Heero shook his head. Quatre just glared at him. All the while Heero watched her eyes. They didn't move, didn't focus when the light brightened or dimmed as she walked past the windows, and she didn't blink.  
  
Just as she reached the chair Heero stepped forward. She fell over it and right into his waiting arms. That was all he needed to convince him. "Why didn't you tell us you were blind?"  
  
"I did, you just didn't listen. Now if you will kindly put me on my feet and direct me back over to Quatre without putting any more furniture in my way I would appreciate it." Heero stood her back up and guided her back over to Quatre. "Thank you. Now, is there a mirror?"  
  
"Why would you need a mirror when you're blind? And how do those help you see?" Wufei inquired curiously.  
  
"They're connected to a chip in my head," Alex explained wearily. "The image of wherever the contacts are pointed are sent to the chip and it gets picked apart. Then it tells me if what is going on around me, like if there is a piece of furniture in my way," with this she looked towards about where Heero was and frowned. "The only bad thing is, is that I still can't see. All I get are outlines and places to move. I never get to see color, or see sparkles on things or anything. I see the bare minimum, but things are processed faster so I'm able to do things quicker than other people."  
  
"Oh," was all Heero could say. He silently led her to a mirror and she put her contacts back in.  
  
"Now, is there something particular you wanted, Heero?"  
  
"No, not really, K-Alex." He noted that she smiled slightly at him.  
  
"Then I'll go to my room and leave you to talk." She inclined her head to them and started to leave.  
  
"Alex, Relena wanted to see you for a moment," Heero called after her as she left the room.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
~*~  
  
"You wanted to see me Relena?" Alex asked, as she walked into the office Relena was using for the duration of her stay while her house was being redone.  
  
"Yes, come in, come in." Alex did so and closed the door when Relena motioned her to. "I'm glad we know who you are now," she faltered, not knowing exactly where to begin.  
  
"Relena, please forget you ever heard any of that. I don't want to hurt you but I can't risk making any attachments. I thought I'd explained that clearly enough, but obviously I didn't," she replied, trying to remain distant.  
  
"You couldn't even call my mom just once?" Relena asked, almost pleading.  
  
"It would be a lie. I never knew you Relena. You're a nice woman, but I don't remember you. All I remember. doesn't matter. I couldn't lie to you like that. Besides, if I called you that I might be tempted to again, and that could get Kira or Daja hurt. I couldn't risk that. They're much too precious to risk."  
  
"Oh." Tears glistened on her lashes. "Well, I got this for you anyway," she said as she slid a small package across her desk.  
  
"Relena, you didn't have to."  
  
"No, I wanted to. It's the least I could do to say thank you." She managed a small smile. "Go on, open it." Alex didn't wait to be told again. She tore open the wrapping paper with trembling fingers and opened the small box that it had adorned. She let out a squeal of joy as into her hand tumbled the beautiful necklace she had looked at when they were shopping.  
  
It was a beautiful thin chain made of white gold, with a small sapphire on the teardrop shaped pendant. A matching ring was also contained in the box.  
  
"Relena, I can't except this. It must have cost a fortune and. well I can't ever wear it," Alex stuttered.  
  
"Actually you will have something to wear it with soon. There is a formal engagement going on in three days that I want to take you to. It's only another stuffy old dinner party with a bunch of politicians, but I'm quite sure you would have fun. Everyone is going, well, not the children of course, but still. I thought you might like to go." Her eyes sparkled and Alex couldn't do anything but say yes.  
  
"Then lets go downtown. I don't want to stay around this house another minute." Alex hesitated a moment. "Oh Alex, if something happens I have a cell phone. You worry too much."  
  
"And you don't worry enough," Alex muttered under her breath as she followed Relena out the door.  
  
~*~  
  
"Man where the heck are the girls?" Duo muttered as he checked his watch for the tenth time.  
  
"Maxwell, its exactly a minute after the last time you checked," Wufei ribbed. "The girls will get done when they get done."  
  
"I bet I know what's taking so long."  
  
"Well spit it out Quatre!" Duo pleaded.  
  
"I heard Relena telling the other girls that, well, Alex hasn't ever worn a dress before and she doesn't know how to use makeup." Most of the men's jaws fell to the floor.  
  
"You've got to be joking!" Zechs said. "She's actually letting them use her as a living Barbie doll?" he shuddered at even the thought.  
  
"Oh god, we're doomed."  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," Wufei said, punching Duo in the arm.  
  
"Hey man, watch the suit."  
  
"Finally," they heard Trowa say and they all looked up to the second story. Four beautiful women had begun descending the stairs. Relena wore a lovely gown of white with her hair drawn up into a bun. Hildie wore silver with white trim around the hem of the dress. Noin had opted to go with a black gown, but whatever it lacked in color, it made up for on provocation. It was daringly low cut and had a slit in the side up to her thigh. Sally followed behind them wearing a light blue kimono with silver trim.  
  
"Where's Alex?" Heero asked when Relena reached him.  
  
"Oh, she's coming. She's just a little nervous."  
  
"Nervous?" he asked dubiously.  
  
"You'll see," she replied mischievously.  
  
A moment later Alex appeared. She was wearing a floor length dress of midnight blue that showed off her hourglass figure. It was held to her shoulders with spaghetti straps, and it was somewhat low cut. The edges of the dress were trimmed with an intricate design on black, hardly noticeable, but adding character just the same. Her hair was left down but a small part was braided on the sides, then drawn back to wrap around a small piece of hair in a V shape. All this was topped off by a little bit of lip gloss and her jewelry.  
  
Whey the guys saw her, their mouths hit the floor for a second time. In place of the self assured tomboy that they had known, and accepted, there stood a nervous girl just accepting that she was a woman. She descended the stairs and came to stand before Heero.  
  
"Well?" she asked self-consciously.  
  
"You look lovely," he said. Then he offered her and Relena an arm to walk them to the door. Alex looked back over her shoulder at Zechs who gave her an encouraging smile.  
  
~*~  
  
After being at the party for an hour Alex vowed never to come to another one again. Her feet hurt from where her shoes rubbed her differently from her usual ones and her back was killing her from having to stand so straight. She'd tried her hand at dancing but she had given up after the first attempt. It if hadn't been obvious before that she had two left feet it was now. She'd tried to make conversation with the other girls but all they wanted to talk about were guys and clothes. They wouldn't even talk about music. The guys wouldn't even let her into their group to talk with them because they considered themselves above her.  
  
She sighed as she got a glass of punch and sat down at a vacant table to stare out the window. She didn't know where any of her relatives had gone, seeing as they had scattered the moment they walked in the door, leaving her to do as she willed. "Maybe I should have stayed with Uncle Zechs."  
  
It had started to snow outside and the way the snowflakes fell hypnotized her. It was like flying through outer space but without the danger. It was so beautiful that she became lost in their motions and spun around in surprise when someone said, "Is there something really interesting out there?"  
  
Alex found herself looking into the eyes of a tall boy about 5'8" with beautiful silver eyes and black hair. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew I was behind you."  
  
"No, I was just lost in thought. I didn't hear you." She blushed at her own foolishness.  
  
"What were you thinking so hard about?" he asked as he seated himself after her nodding her approval.  
  
"I'm not sure. I was watching the snowflakes and my mind wandered off on its own. No telling where it was." 'Oh god, I sound like an idiot!,' she thought.  
  
"Do you not get snow a lot where you come from?" he asked, ignoring how what she'd said could be interpreted.  
  
"No, at least not this nice."  
  
"Really? We get it a lot. It's really a bother sometimes. It's hard to drive through and it's cold!"  
  
"I always enjoyed it. I love making snow forts or having snowball fights. Oh, where are my manners. My name is Alex."  
  
"Is there a last name to go with that?"  
  
"No," she replied a touch uncomfortably.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry. I'm Jamal Swift."  
  
"Swift?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"Yeah, my dad own a big steal company. There's a big old fuss over a merger so I ended up here with him tonight." He wrinkled his nose to show his distaste.  
  
"So why aren't you talking with the boys?"  
  
"I could ask you why you aren't with all the girls."  
  
"Pardon me for saying, but they're all airheads. If those are suppose to be our leaders I think I'll get off at the next stop around the sun."  
  
He laughed and she felt heat rising in her cheeks. "I could say the same about the guys. All they want to discuss is the latest additions to their favorite sports teams and who is going to win the "ESUN's strongest man" this year. Its disgusting how narrow-minded they can be."  
  
"So why'd you want to talk to me? Aren't you afraid I'll be just like them?" she joked.  
  
He shuddered. "Perish the thought. Besides, why would you be sitting over here all alone if you were like the normal politician. Why aren't you with the others discussing what you're going to be doing next week about that big narcotics case?"  
  
"Narcotics case? What?"  
  
"You are a politician, aren't you?"  
  
"Aya, how old do I look?" she asked, wondering if she looked as old as he made her sound.  
  
"About twenty two, why?"  
  
She laughed and he raised an eyebrow. "No, no, no, no, no. I'm only sixteen. I couldn't be a politician even if I wanted to!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I didn't mean to insult you."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Besides, I should take it as a compliment. You're the first person here who hasn't treated me as a child," she said as she began to doodle on a piece of paper.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah." He looked slightly distracted and she turned to see what he was looking at. "Is something wrong?" she asked when she could see nothing amiss.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. It's just that this creepy guy keeps looking over here. That one there. The one with the weird hair."  
  
"Trowa?" she asked in surprise. She'd never heard him described as creepy before, but then she'd never been on the receiving end of one of his looks without knowing him.  
  
"That's his name? Well whoever he is, he looks like he's plotting my death," he joked.  
  
"Trowa's harmless. I guess he could be creepy if you don't know him, but unless you really do something to make him mad you've got nothing to worry about. He's just checking on me. Thanks for pointing him out thought. I couldn't find him earlier when I was looking for him. Too many people here tonight."  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Just wondering," Jamal assured her.  
  
"Will you excuse me a moment?"  
  
"By all means."  
  
"I'll be right back then," she said as she stood and headed in the direction of the bathrooms. She bumped into Quatre on the way out. "Quatre, are you leaving?"  
  
"Yes, I've just got a call from Rachide. He says I need to come home immediately; something about a servant. He wouldn't give me any specifics."  
  
"Okay then, take care. I'll see you tonight." She held up her hand and Quatre grasped it, and kissed it before turning and striding out the doors. Alex waited long enough to see that he got to the car safely before going to the bathroom. She returned to the table a few minutes later.  
  
"You know Quatre Winner?"  
  
"Vaguely," she said guardedly.  
  
"I was just wondering." He put his hands up in mock defeat. They passed the next hour or so talking about whatever came to mind. Just as they were running out of things to talk about Trowa came up and laid his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's about time we get going, Alex," he said.  
  
She nodded. "Thank you for a wonderful evening Jamal. I hope I'll be able to see you again some time."  
  
"And I you, fairy lady," he said as he kissed her hand in a parting gesture. She smiled at him and then followed Trowa towards the door. The others were already waiting for her and they all wore anxious looks on their faces. No one spoke on the drive to the mansion but Alex didn't want to talk to anyone. Her stomach was killing her.  
  
"Oh no!" Noin whispered as they rounded a bend in the road and small portion of the mansion came into view, or, more precisely, a section of the mansion that was missing. Instead of seeing part of the roof, they saw only a section of flame that was eating at the wood.  
  
~*~  
  
"It appears that a bomb went off," Rachide said brokenly as he looked at the blackened wood of the once beautiful mansion. I'm just glad that everyone but me was gone tonight. Master Quatre gave us the night off." He was reduced to tears again; all of the adults were. None of them wanted to accept that Quatre was gone; killed by a bomb planted in his house.  
  
Alex was picking her way through the rubble; her dress hiked up to a very indecent level to keep it from getting soiled with soot. Her shoes were already past hope as she stepped on still live coals and broken fragments of things that had once been walls or furniture.  
  
"Why Quatre? Why didn't you save him Alex?" Duo demanded from behind her. She turned and looked at him with a cold, distant expression.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why didn't you save him? You had to have known it was going to happen!" he shouted at her.  
  
"Yes, I did." She started picking her way out of the rubble, stopping only long enough to retrieve a VERY battered sports bag. It had scorch marks on it, along with bullet holes, but a ceiling had fallen in on it, saving it from the worst of the fire.  
  
"Then why didn't you do anything about it?!" Wufei demanded.  
  
"I told you when I arrived that I would sacrifice any one of you if it was for the good of the future."  
  
"After all he did for you? After all the kindness he gave you, you let him die?!" Heero demanded.  
  
She stopped before him. "I told you I would, Heero. I meant it then, and I do not regret my decision."  
  
"How could you?!" Noin shrieked at the same time as Hildie.  
  
"You ungrateful cur!" Sally shouted at her. "No, even that word isn't horrid enough to describe you!" Relena tried to say something hateful to her but she couldn't get her voice to work. Instead she slapped her. Alex's head snapped sideways but she said nothing.  
  
"You were right about more than one thing, Alex. You aren't Kira and you aren't our daughter. Our daughter could never be such a monster. That's all you could ever be," Heero growled before he spat on the ground before her.  
  
"Get out of here Alex," Zechs said finally. If this is the kind of protection you offer, we don't need you."  
  
*"Watashiwa shinimegami," she replied steadily, and as the others looked to Heero for a translation she said, "Since you wish me out of your lives, so be it. But remember, if ever you need help, you have only to ask for it."  
  
~*~  
  
As Trowa parked his car in front of his trailer he noticed that one of the lights was on inside. "That's funny. I thought I turned all the lights out," he said to himself as he got out of the car and walked to the door. Out of habit he turned the knob before he inserted his key and, to his surprise, found it unlocked. Immediately he reached for the gun he always carried with him. He yanked the door open and jumped inside the trailer. "Freeze!" he shouted, but it was he who froze instead.  
  
"Quatre?"  
  
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Dream Keeper: Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you like it!  
  
Christa: Yeah! We're almost done! Only another chapter or two at most to go! YEAH! No more sharp, pointy objects to be chucked at me! Yeah!  
  
Dream Keeper: Okay, calm down. Okay, well, time for all good little muses and such to be in bed, so that's where we're headed. Can't wait until this is finished!  
  
Christa: Please don't forget to R&R which means read AND REVIEW!!!!! That is all. Bye! We'll have another chapter up sometime before 2003!  
  
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*Watashiwa-I am * Shinimegami: Shi-death, ni-of/ is/ be/ etc., megami-goddess === Goddess of death. Cool huh? No word for THE though.  
  
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	13. Finding Love

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Okay, we couldn't just leave you with that big of a cliffhanger so we thought we'd give you a freebee chapter. Here it is! Don't expect the next one until next year! *laughs her head off*  
  
Dream Keeper: *rolls her eyes* Hey, Christa.  
  
Christa: Yeah?  
  
Dream Keeper: Did you forget that that's only a few days away?  
  
Christa: *sheepish look* Eh, ha, ha..  
  
Dream Keeper: Anyway, here's the chapter!  
  
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"It's me Trowa. I'm not a ghost, I promise."  
  
"Why. How?!" he demanded as he dropped his gun on the table and sank down into a kitchen chair.  
  
"Alex warned me."  
  
"When? How?"  
  
"On my way out."  
  
*** FLASHBACK  
  
Quatre took Alex's hand in his and kissed it. When she removed her hand from his, he noted that she's slipped a piece of paper into his palm. She looked pointedly at him and smiled so he acted as if nothing was entirely amiss and strode out the doors. Once in the safety of his car he read the note she'd given him.  
  
Quatre, don't go back to the mansion.  
  
It's a trap. They are going to try to  
  
kill you. Have your bodyguard go in,  
  
not you. I want you to go someplace  
  
safe. I'll find you. Don't contact anyone.  
  
It's a matter of life or death. Everyone  
  
must believe that you are really dead.  
  
Make sure that NO ONE knows the truth  
  
but the person you're staying with. I'll  
  
tell them you called in dead.  
  
Love, Shinimegami.  
  
*** END  
  
"So you're saying she saved your life?"  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her." He fingered the note a moment. "Do you know what she called herself here?" he asked as he indicated her signature.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but Duo calls himself the Shinigami, so I'm assuming it means goddess of death. How fitting."  
  
"What?"  
  
"She has everyone believing that she really did kill you."  
  
"Including you?" Quatre asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, especially me. I couldn't even think of anything vial enough to call her when. Oh no."  
  
"Trowa, what happened?" Quatre asked urgently.  
  
"We sent her away Quatre. We sent her away for good."  
  
"You killed her?!" he yelled.  
  
"No, we ran her off. We said.. some very nasty things to her. She was just so uncaring that you were dead. I think she really was hurt, even though she pretended to be so distant from any emotion." Quatre took a moment to let it sink in, then when the magnitude of the situation came crashing down on him, he too sank down into a chair and buried his head in his hands.  
  
"Being dead should not be this much trouble," he muttered as much to himself as anyone. Trowa couldn't stop himself from laughing. A knock on the door made him stop. He motioned Quatre to move into one of the back rooms before he opened the door.  
  
"Cathy, what do you need?" he asked, making his voice horse and choked with suppressed tears.  
  
"Trowa, I heard about Quatre on the radio. I never liked him much but I am so sorry. I really didn't want to bother you but there's someone in the main tent. I didn't want to go in there alone, but everyone else was asleep."  
  
"It's fine Cathy. I'll come with you." Silently the two moved across the distance between his trailer and the performance tent. When they got there Trowa quickly reached out and flipped on an overhead light. The tent was flooded with light that contrasted so sharply with the darkness they had been in that he had to blink away spots, but not before he saw someone in the tent. That someone was falling off the high wire.  
  
"NO!" Cathy yelled, but the person had already leaned to one side beyond recovery. They fell off the wire and Cathy shut her eyes tightly against the gruesome sight of the person hitting the hard stone ground beneath them-  
  
but the impact never came. She opened her eyes to see the person had reached out, snagged the wire in mid fall, used their momentum to swing over it like a gymnast, let go, and come to rest perfectly where they had been before.  
  
"You might warn a person before you flip the lights on like that next time. It could be deadly."  
  
"You stupid idiot! You could have gotten yourself killed! How dare you break into our circus tent like this! I'm calling the police!" she shouted at the person on the high wire.  
  
"I'd rather you didn't but if that's what you choose, that's your business," the person replied as she did a cartwheel and came down on the wire. When the person was standing again, he sprinted across the other half of the tightrope and onto the safety of the board. Cathy was breathing a little easier as whoever it was climbed down.  
  
"Trowa, are you going to go get him?" she demanded when her adopted brother didn't move.  
  
"No, she'll come to us."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"I know her," he told her. Cathy looked at the person and sure enough it was a girl, with aquamarine eyes that reminded her sharply of Quatre's and tousled straight brown hair.  
  
"You know her?"  
  
"Yes." He folded his arms across his chest and the girl took a hint to jog the rest of the way over.  
  
"Sorry to scare you, Cathy, Trowa. I just needed something to do," she said to them.  
  
"Something to do? You could have killed yourself! You were walking a tightrope in the dark! You couldn't even have been able to see it! It idiotic kid! I should kill you myself!"  
  
"Cathy, please calm down. I don't want you to wake anyone else."  
  
"You almost killed yourself and you're worried about me waking someone else?!" she yelled not two inches from her face.  
  
"Cathy, please. I've had closer calls than that one. It hardly made my heart race. May I please go somewhere where I may see to my bandages in peace?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Calm down Cathy. She has a good reason. Alex, you may use my trailer."  
  
"And just what is that?" his sister demanded.  
  
"She was hurt helping us a while ago." The look he gave her told her to ask no more questions and, in fact, she didn't want to.  
  
Alex raised an eyebrow and asked sarcastically, "So you've already forgiven me?"  
  
"There was nothing to forgive," he replied. "What happened to your dress?"  
  
"I couldn't very well run through the woods with it on now could I? I changed in a thicket."  
  
"You speak as if you were on earth." She just shrugged. Eventually after much arguing with Cathy they were able to make their way back to Trowa's trailer. Cathy only agreed to keep quiet under a threat of death (joking of course) and much explaining that Alex was the boy that had gotten her shot. She liked her even less after that.  
  
After the door was safely shut Alex said, "God, Aunt Catherine can be a real pain in the-," she broke off when Trowa glared at her.  
  
"She only has my best interest at heart," he said defensively. "She's not that bad if you don't get her shot."  
  
"I know, I know. Hello Quatre, I figured you'd show up here," Alex said without turning around.  
  
"How'd you know?" he asked as he came the rest of the way into the room.  
  
"Trowa saw you and his eyes reflected your image. Nothing more, nothing less. It's a good way to see what's going on behind you without having to look. I'm glad you're safe."  
  
"So am I. Thank you for saving me," he said as he sat down.  
  
"Well, I could not very well let you die. It would have ruined everything," she replied as she walked over to the small stove in one corner of the trailer. She filled the teakettle with water and set it on a burner. Then she started digging through the cabinets. Trowa said nothing, just stood watching her. Quatre too was silent.  
  
As soon as she had a cup waiting to be filled with a tea packet in it, she picked up her bag and headed into the bathroom. She appeared a moment later wearing only a baggy pair of sleeping pants and a bra.  
  
"Uncle Trowa, will you please help? It damn well hurts to move right now," she said as she held out a roll of bandage to him. He ignored the fact that she was only half dressed long enough to patch her up. Quatre on the other hand, became as red as a tomato and looked away. When Trowa was finished she got out a tank top and pulled it over her head.  
  
"Watch your language from now on," Trowa admonished as the kettle whistled.  
  
"Sorry. I'm not use to living here anymore." She poured her tea and an uncomfortable silence descended on them. Trowa finally decided to break it.  
  
"Alex, I'm sorry about--,"  
  
"There is no need to apologize," she said, cutting him off. "I deserved what I got, even if it was for different reasons than they thought."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I got a man killed tonight," she said, refusing to look at them.  
  
"I am no less at fault than you are," Quatre told her. "I sent a man in there knowing full well that he would be killed."  
  
"Yes, but he was also assigned to give his life for you if it was deemed necessary. Well, that is neither here nor now. Done is done," she said as if to herself. Just then the clock chimed eleven and Alex's eyes widened and she paled. Quickly she pushed back from the table and said, "Where am I going to sleep?"  
  
"Well, there's only one bed, and only one couch so. I guess the floor," Trowa admitted, wondering just what was wrong with her. Alex nodded and picked up her bag.  
  
"Do you mind if I sleep in your room?" Taken aback by her question, Trowa could only nod dumbly. She walked swiftly to the closet, got and extra blanket, and made her bed on the floor with her back to the bedframe. She fell asleep, or at least appeared to, almost as soon as she closed her eyes. Trowa walked over and shut the door.  
  
"Well, it looks like tonight's adventures took their toll on her. You know, I think she actually caught the eye of that young Jamal Swift while we were at that party tonight."  
  
"Jamal?" Quatre asked, surprised. Jamal was known for being a loner and for staying away from his social group, opting to mingle with the adults. He was mature for his age so he and his peers had nothing in common. Every girl at the parties always tried to throw herself at him, but he always pretended not to notice the attention. "She caught his eye?"  
  
"Yes. They sat at a table talking most of the time we were there. A very interesting development if you ask me." An odd twinkle came to his eye then and Quatre got an odd feeling in his stomach.  
  
"Trowa, you know what she would say if she knew what you were going to do," Quatre said, lowering his voice even more.  
  
"Yes," he said solemnly, "she would most likely beat me over the head with a frying pan until I gave up my foolish idea." He looked down at his watch then. "You do realize that if I am not at the bar in the next hour getting myself thoroughly drunk, Heero and the others will wonder what is wrong and come here, don't you?"  
  
"Yes, go. We have to keep up the ruse that I am dead." He was not the least bit happy about letting Trowa go, but he could not risk being found out. "Just promise me that you will retain enough sense to sleep it off in your truck?"  
  
"Of course. You know as well as I do that I don't drive when I'm drunk. Especially not when I can't tell whether I'm moving up or down. You know," he said thoughtfully as he left. "The Irish say that if you can fall down on the ground, hold onto a piece of grass, and not fall off the world, you're not properly drunk yet?"  
  
"Let me guess. That proverb came about when one of the artificial gravity generators failed?" Quatre asked, half amused in spite of himself.  
  
"Most likely. See you when I get home." With that he left. The roar of a car engine and the crunch of tires on gravel told Quatre that he was gone. Soon, he also followed Alex's example and found the couch to crash on for the night. Vaguely, as he drifted off to sleep, he thought that he needed to find a more secure sleeping spot so he would not be discovered if anyone came into the trailer with Trowa in the middle of the night.  
  
~*~  
  
Quatre awoke to a curious sound later that night. One look at his watch told him that it was not yet past one thirty in the morning. What in the world is making that weird sound, Quatre though as he fought to drive off the fog of sleep. As he became more awake he was able to place the sound as someone getting sick.  
  
Quietly he got up off the couch and crept to the bathroom door. "Alex, are you okay in there?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she called back weakly. So weak in fact that Quatre started to open the door. "No, don't come in!" she cried desperately, pushing him back outside until another wave of nausea forced her to lean back over the toilet and dry heave. Quatre took that opportunity to enter.  
  
When he saw her she looked normal, other than being pale and having shockingly dark purple lines under her eyes. On closer inspection he noticed that she was amazingly thin, unhealthily so. Thinking back, he could not remember a single time he'd seen her eat very much.  
  
"Alex, what's going on?" he asked, concern written all over his face. He was forced to wait as her stomach tried to cleanse itself again, though it had nothing left in it.  
  
When she was done she answered, "I'm fine Quatre. Don't worry."  
  
"Are you bulimic?" he asked.  
  
Alex looked at him as if he'd gone mad and gave a tiny, irony filled laugh. "If only it were that simple." A coughing fit overtook her then and she put her hand over her mouth quickly, but not before a little bit of blood flew onto the floor. Her eyes flew to his and she knew that he knew.  
  
"Alex, what's going on?" he asked in a steely voice that demanded answers.  
  
"Its nothing for you to concern yourself with," she answered stubbornly.  
  
"I'm calling Sally." As he stood to go she grabbed his wrist. He turned to look at her and she shook her head sadly.  
  
"There is nothing Sally can do for me Quatre. She knows it as well as I do." She let go of his wrist.  
  
"And just what does that mean?" he hissed, afraid to yell.  
  
She would not meet his eyes. Instead she fixed her gaze on the pattern on the wall. "I'm dying Quatre," she said as if it meant nothing to her. His heart plummeted into his feet and fear gripped his heart.  
  
"What do you mean dying? How can you be dying?!" he demanded.  
  
"Keep your voice down." Now she met his eyes with an unwavering gaze. "I knew when I accepted the mission that if I stayed here too long that this would be the consequence. It's worth it to me, if I can stop the future from happening."  
  
"Yes, but why are you dying?"  
  
"I can not stay here. My body is, well. I'm not sure. The closest I can come to an explanation is that I don't belong in this time period. I was borne in the future and that is where I belong. As soon as I stepped foot in the past my life was shortened. Its trying to force me out, Quatre, but it can't. It has nowhere to force me to. The future is in shambles right now so it can't decide where to throw me. Its pulling me in a hundred different directions, none of them the true future as it would be if I hadn't interfered. None of those are my time either. Alex isn't there in those times. I'm dead to time, so it's killing me, little by little. First my mind will go, then my body will start to fail, and I'll die."  
  
"That's what those pills are for, aren't they?"  
  
"Yes. Somehow they sustain my body; keep it from falling apart. I don't know how, nor do I want to know. I don't want to know what those scientists have put into my body. I don't want to know the way they've polluted it," she said bitterly.  
  
"And you just accept this?" he asked quietly.  
  
"There's nothing I can do about it. It would be best if you just forgot about it. Forget what you saw." She leaned over the toilet again. When her stomach settled she was panting as if she'd run a race. "God, I think that's the worst part."  
  
"Throwing up?"  
  
"That too, but the fact that I can't do anything about the pain. Its not someone else that's causing it, its my own body. I hate it. I hate this weak body."  
  
"Alex, you are anything but weak," Quatre assured her.  
  
She ignored his last remark, instead asking, "Will you please hand me a towel?" He did and handed it to her. Alex inclined her head in thanks as she accepted it. Slowly, as if any movement hurt her, she wiped her forehead of the sweat that had collected there and wiped her mouth. "Yuck, I wish there was some way to get rid of this taste."  
  
"That is one thing they have not been able to come up with yet," he replied as he ran cold water over a rag and placed it on the back of her neck. Her shivering increased but she smiled at him.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
He nodded. "Well, now that you've woken me up, do you forgive me for what I did?"  
  
"Yes. Actually, I'm half-glad that you did. If only for a little while, I got to know what my family was like. I didn't have to worry about getting kicked out for the first time in my life."  
  
"What happened after your mother died? What changed all of us?" Quatre asked quietly.  
  
She smiled wanly and laughed a tiny bit before another coughing fit overtook her. "You, you were fine for a while until your wife was killed in a car accident. There was a big scandal over it and it turned out that someone had been hired to kill her. I don't know why, but you were never the same. You buried yourself under mounds of paperwork and started leaving you children to be raised by the maganac's. They turned out pretty well, or at least last I heard they had," she stopped to reflect a moment.  
  
"Wufei and Sally were pretty much unaffected until Maya was killed. I was never told how it happened. Wufei was away on a mission with Sally then. When they got the news they got careless and were killed. Needless to say that mission failed."  
  
"So much wasted life," Quatre said quietly.  
  
"Do you want me to go on?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
She nodded and continued, "On the outside Zechs was a strong person, but inside he was a nervous wreck. He started going off by himself for long periods of time. One of his favorite things to do became hiking on that hill behind his house. He moved after Relena died by the way. Well, the hill had a really steep drop off on one side. When he didn't come back for three days a search party was sent after him. It had been raining and he slipped. Noin threw herself off that same cliff a few weeks later."  
  
"What happened to their kids?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe they were sent to you, maybe they were put up for adoption. I don't know. Duo and Hildie stayed alive for a long time. They were there for me when my father was killed, or, I should say Matty was. You already know what happened to her. Duo went crazy when that happened. He tried to kill me but, as you can see, he failed. They put him in a mental hospital then. He was still in the padded room when I left. Hildie lost her business after that. She ran into a bunch of financial problems. She and Danny had to move into a homeless shelter. She was too proud to ask for help, that was her undoing. She got really sick and there wasn't anyone who could do anything for her. She died a few months later. That's all."  
  
"You forgot Trowa," Quatre said quietly.  
  
Alex's face became an impassive mask as she steeled herself to tell him what she'd never been able to talk about. "He and his wife were the high wire act. They were the best at it. They could do almost anything but fly. God, I wish they could have been able to do that too. I don't know why, or how, it happened but someone forgot to check the high wire, or they purposefully overlooked it, either way. They were trying a new act that night. Their kids were with them. I think they were two and three, but I'm not sure. The high wire just snapped, it just snapped. They were in the middle of it so there was no way they could have been able to get to safety. They died, all four of them. They closed the circus down after that."  
  
"All four of them? Weren't the kids on safety wires?" he asked, horrified that Trowa could have been so careless.  
  
"Yeah, they were in the beginning, but somehow they got unhooked. No one looked into it too far, just a couple of circus clowns dying, nothing major they though. It was foul play Quatre. It wasn't an accident. You died in a plane crash by the way. Just a few hours before I left."  
  
"I knew there was a reason I disliked planes," Quatre muttered as he sat absorbing what she'd told him. "Is it just me or are our deaths a little less than coincidence?"  
  
"They were all foul play Quatre. I was sent to make it right. As you all disappeared, the E-sun fell into chaos."  
  
"E-sun?" He asked, perplexed at what she meant. Was it a new government?  
  
"E-sun. ESUN? It's just a play on the letters."  
  
"Oh." It had never occurred to him to make a shorter word for the Earth's Sphere Unified Nation.  
  
"Why are you so interested?"  
  
"In case something happens to you," he admitted. "We can avoid some things, I think."  
  
"If I die, you are all as good as dead because whoever is in the time stream will know who I am, go back, and make it to where I never came to help you. If what I've told you doesn't happen, they will find some other way." The clock in the kitchen started chiming two in the morning. "We'd better get back to bed. Please, don't tell anyone," she said, moving to stand up but Quatre's hand on her shoulder stopped her.  
  
"In a few minutes. First tell me what happened to you."  
  
"I'd rather not." she said, avoiding the subject. "I've already told you too much."  
  
"It's not going to happen anyway. You know that as well as I do. The moment you stepped foot in my house our lives were changed forever." He felt an odd feeling radiating from her then. It was just on the edges of his senses, but he distinctly felt her discomfort and want to get away from the conversation. "Tell me what happened after Relena died."  
  
"I went to live with Trowa," she said quietly. "Zechs couldn't live with me because of what I'd done."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I told him the day before it happened that Relena was going to die. I knew it was going to happen before it happened. I don't know how. That's the only thing I've ever done like that in my life. I know he didn't hate me, but he didn't want me seeing anything like that about his family. Actually, if you want to get technical, I lived with Heero for a few months, but he couldn't take care of me. Trowa took me away from him. He couldn't get legal custody of my sister though, so we grew up apart."  
  
"Go on," Quatre urged when she stopped.  
  
"I was happy with them, I loved living there at the circus. They even let me perform with them." She stopped and closed her eyes, fighting for control. "Please, let me go to bed Quatre."  
  
"Was it really so horrible?" he asked.  
  
"I did the high wire act with them. I was on the high wire, Quatre. I was on the high wire with them. I should have died too but by some miracle I lived. God, I can still feel myself falling, still hear their screams. Trowa didn't die right away. He lived for a few minutes, but he died inside. His little girl was lying right in front of him with her head smashed open, Quatre.  
  
"His spirit died before his body. I remember the people saying that I was probably going to live, but not the others. They didn't do anything for them. They just tried to save me. I can still see his eyes. That's mostly what I remember. His eyes as they glazed over in death, how they accused me. I can still see them." She broke down sobbing then. Quatre held her against him as she cried herself out on his shoulder. Vaguely she noted that someone else was in the room holding her too, though she had no idea who it could be.  
  
"I'm sorry you felt that way," Trowa whispered to her, causing her to stiffen involuntarily.  
  
"Trowa!" she gasped, struggling for composure.  
  
"Alex, it doesn't matter if you cry or not," he told her. "You're not human if you don't. I wasn't human until I did. I know how it feels to keep your feelings hidden. Let them out. All you've been doing since you arrived here is protecting us. Let us protect you now." That was all the encouragement she needed.  
  
When finally her sobs subsided she looked at him and asked, "How did you get home? If you said you drove I am personally going to see you hung upside down from the ceiling of the performance tent and beat over the head with a cast iron frying pan!"  
  
"Ooo, such threats. I guess it's a good thing someone who hadn't been drinking at all drove me home huh?"  
  
"Who?" she asked, unable to think of anyone.  
  
"Heero."  
  
"What?!"  
  
Quatre nodded confirmation. "He doesn't touch alcohol. Especially after what you accused him of." He noted that she winced as his words struck her like needles.  
  
"I guess I deserved that," she said sheepishly. Turning to Trowa she asked, "How long have you been here?"  
  
"Long enough to hear a little of how I got custody of you. I would like to hear the rest before I pass out on my bed. Oh, if either of you could get me some aspirin, it would be much appreciated." Quatre hastened to get it. "And how about we move out of the bathroom? This isn't the best place to hold a conference." No one disagreed with him.  
  
When they were all settled comfortably in the kitchen (again) Alex continued, "I'm still not sure whether it was a blessing or a curse. Well, something was watching over me that day, be it god or demon. As you can see, I did live. I was about nine then. Lets see, I'm sixteen now. I got passed around between houses after that for about three years. No one really wanted me. Only Duo and Hildie ever kept me for any length of time. They were the only ones that didn't travel.  
  
"Finally, after I got brought home by the police for a third time on L-4, Quatre bared me from ever coming to his home again. The Chang's died soon after. Zechs and Noin were too busy with the Preventers to take care of me and Duo and Hildie didn't have the money, so Dr. J got custody of me," she said bitterly. "Now here we are four years later and I am who you see now." Trowa and Quatre remained silent, both for different reasons. Alex got up then and made her way back to her makeshift bed to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Over the next two weeks everyone noticed that the assassination attempts increased greatly for all of them. They also noted that no matter where they were, someone was always lurking in the shadows, always just out of sight. Always whenever they were in danger the person came to their rescue before disappearing. Also, no one had any doubt of who the person was, and they all were thankful though they resented their rescuer greatly.  
  
~*~  
  
Alex upended the bucket of water over hear head in the blistering heat of the day. All of the air coolers on the colony were malfunctioning and everyone was suffering. She'd just finished practicing on the tightrope and felt as if she'd run a mile.  
  
"You were really good up there today. It looks like your getting better,' Trowa congratulated her.  
  
"No, it looks like my body is starting to remember some of what it forgot." She shrugged. "Either way, I am better. Do you think Cathy is going to want to use me for target practice again tonight?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.  
  
"Probably not tonight. I told her about your absolute love of having sharp pointy objects thrown at you." (Hint to the fans who were doing that! STOP IT!)  
  
She groaned in response. "Now you're going to have her believing I'm a sissy!"  
  
"Well, until you're fully healed there isn't much more you can do. Tumbling is out of the question-,"  
  
"Oh, it that all you've been worried about! I'm perfectly fine," she assured him and splashed water at him from the pump next to her when he gave her a disbelieving look. "I am! The only reason I needed to re-bandage myself is because I ripped a stitch out! I'm all healed up now. Al the stitches have disintegrated and my wound is now just a somewhat bothersome scar."  
  
"If you say so. Shall we test that now?"  
  
She groaned a little louder this time. "I'm beginning to think that I would have been better off if I had never revealed my special talents to you," she complained as she slung her towel over her shoulder. "You're a real slave driver. Can't we at least take a break long enough to check on our hamster? I want to make sure Happy hasn't dehydrated and keeled over."  
  
"Okay, we can go check on the hamster," he agreed as he headed for his trailer. He smirked now to think of all the ruckus she had caused on her first day at the circus. Most of the people there had had them sleeping together at the end of the first hour. It had taken three days to get it through their heads that she was too young for him and that she the daughter of one of his friends on earth. It had taken another five to convince the young men to keep their hands to themselves! Alex had finally needed to knock Bob's front teeth in to drive that fact home when he grabbed her butt for the tenth time in an hour. Needless to say, the boys pretty much avoided her now.  
  
As they entered, Quatre looked up from the book he was reading on the couch. "Hello," he said. "I don't suppose you brought anything cold with you?"  
  
"Nope, sorry Happy. I'll get you some chilled carrots later tonight." Alex said as she flopped down in a chair.  
  
"Ha, ha, very funny," Quatre said before putting his book up in front of his face and pretending to ignore her jibe. It had come about when he'd woken her up one morning too early and with too perky a mood. They'd needed something to call him in code so when Alex remembered that Trowa had had a hamster once, they started referring to him as the Happy hamster.  
  
"I still have work to do. Enjoy yourselves for a while, but do open up some windows. You could have a heat stroke in here."  
  
Alex shook her head. "No, I'll come with you and let you try and take another few layers of skin off me. I won't get any better sitting around here." She set about opening the windows. "Is there anything you need Happy?"  
  
"If you happen to run across an ice-cream vender I'll take rocky road," he replied as they left.  
  
"I never knew he was that much of a chocola-holic," Alex muttered as she headed to the tumbling mats. Trowa spent the next hour and a half driving her like a mad woman in her different exercises. When she finally couldn't sit up without assistance he gave up and called it a day. Then he too flopped down on the mats.  
  
"You two are really good," someone said to them. Trowa raised his head long enough to see that Jamal was leaning on one of the many piles of boxes.  
  
"Hello Jamal," He said before dropping his head back onto the mat. "How are you?"  
  
"Just fine. Looks like you two are beat though."  
  
"Yeah, being in the circus isn't easy, but its fun. I think you want to talk to Alex and I've got stuff to do, so I'll see you two later," he said as he heaved himself to his feet and walked off. He noted that Alex followed him with her eyes, pleading with him to stay but he pretended not to see.  
  
"So, what are you doing here?" she asked casually as she sat up, not sure of how to talk to him. She was sweaty, smelly, and very disheveled. There was no way she could look pretty to him. Why do I care, she wondered? Fair lady he'd called her at the party. What did he think of her now?  
  
"I told you I wanted to see you again. It took me a while to track you down. Its almost like you dropped off the face of the colony. I finally thought to come to the circus to look for you. I remembered my father saying something about Quatre's friend being a circus clown." He grew solemn then. "I'm sorry about Quatre."  
  
"Its okay, it didn't affect me too much. He was just Trowa's friend. I didn't know him that well."  
  
"Oh," he said, running out of things to discuss. As he shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably he looked everywhere but her.  
  
"Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" Alex asked suddenly.  
  
"You sure your boyfriend won't mind too much?" he asked doubtfully. He seemed utterly perplexed when she broke out into a fit of laughter where she was sitting. "What? What's so funny?"  
  
"Sorry," she gasped when she noticed his wounded look. "It's just the way you said that. You made him sound like a cradle robber."  
  
"I don't find it funny at all. If he's your-," he stopped when she held up her hand.  
  
"No, you've got it all wrong. He's not my boyfriend. I just live with him, that's why I thought it was so funny. Sorry but that thought just doesn't appeal to me. He's like an older brother, no, more of a father to me. I could never be together with him. The thought sickens me."  
  
"Oh," he said again, though this time he didn't quite conceal the hint of relief in his voice. "In that case I'd love to go on a walk with you.  
  
"Okay, give me five minutes and I'll meet you in front of that trailer there." She pointed to Trowa's trailer. "If you wander around, just make sure not to get in Cathy's way. She's been known to be a little narrow sighted when she's throwing her knives and it would be a pain to explain to your father just what happened to you."  
  
"I'll make sure to stay out of her way," he promised. She nodded and took off jogging towards the trailer, praying she didn't look too nervous.  
  
"Happy, you need to hide for a few minutes," she said, just loud enough for him to hear.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
She became flustered then. "Because Jamal just showed up and he's going to be waiting for me. Oh god, why did I ask him to go for a walk? I don't have the time! Why did he have to show up here!" she ranted as she searched franticly for her bag.  
  
"It's in Trowa's room," Quatre told her as he moved behind a wall where he wouldn't be seen. "Do you dislike him that much?"  
  
"No!" she blushed. "No, I. I, uh."  
  
"You like him more than a little huh?" Trowa said as he came out of his room holding her back. She glared at him and snatched it from his hand.  
  
"You! If I find out you had anything to do with this you are going to regret the day you became a conniving sneak."  
  
"Sheesh, you've only met the guy once and you're already in love with him this badly?" he joked. She punched him hard in the arm, causing him to wince when he didn't move out of the way quick enough.  
  
"Excuse me! Little girls are allowed to have crushes!" she retorted before clamping her hands over her mouth. Trowa smirked but said nothing as she quickly retreated to the shower.  
  
Seven minutes later, after much coaxing from both men, she finally stepped out the door.  
  
"Oh, I really didn't think you'd be done that fast," he said, looking up in surprise.  
  
"Why?" she asked curiously.  
  
"When my sisters say they are going to be back in five minutes they usually take forty-five."  
  
"And you were planning on waiting for me that long?"  
  
"I don't know," he admitted honestly as they walked down the sidewalk.  
  
~*~  
  
They came walking back to the circus grounds an hour after sunset, having left at three. Trowa was waiting patiently on the steps when they came walking up hand in hand. Upon seeing him they promptly separated and stood a suitable distance apart, carefully not touching. Trowa pretended not to notice.  
  
"Have a nice time?" he asked as he peeled another piece of wood away from his carving with his knife. He noticed Jamal's eyes flick towards it uneasily.  
  
"Yes," Alex replied, refusing to give anything away.  
  
"Why don't you go inside and get some dinner? Its sitting on the stove," he said to Alex, giving her a pointed look. Even though she'd already eaten, she went inside anyway, praying that Trowa would be nice.  
  
Jamal stood there a moment, watching her through the window before saying uneasily, "I'd better be going."  
  
"Wait a moment son," Trowa said, stopping the boy in his tracks.  
  
"Yes sir?" he asked.  
  
"You know that Alex is like a daughter to me, do you not?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"You know that she is a lady, not some circus girl that you can just pick up and throw down when you choose, or use as a whore, right?"  
  
"Of course sir," he snapped, offended greatly that he would suggest such a thing.  
  
"Good. Oh, by the way, if you hurt her, you'd better hope you can run faster than I do."  
  
"Yes sir," Jamal said. As he turned to go the knife that Trowa had been using thunked into the tree in front of him, warning him what would happen to him if he did hurt her. "Yes sir," he replied to Trowa's unspoken threat. "I'll make sure."  
  
***  
  
"Why did you do that?!" Alex yelled when Trowa finally came back inside.  
  
"All I did was threaten him. He's a good kid."  
  
"Exactly! You threatened him!" she said before she slumped down on the couch next to Quatre. "I've never been more humiliated in my life."  
  
"I could make sure this becomes one of your less humiliating moments," Trowa offered.  
  
She looked up at him then and gave him Heero's patented death glare. "If you do anything of the sort, _I_will_kill_you_."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"So, what did you two love birds do?" Quatre asked as he put his book aside.  
  
"We went to a movie if its any of your business," she snapped. "Now, tell me, how did you get him to come out here?" Both men became interested in looking anywhere but her right then. "Okay, fine. Be that way," she huffed half in jest as she marched into Trowa's room and lay down on the bed. All of her muscle aches chose that time to make themselves known to her. She decided to take a hot bath then to loosen then up.  
  
As she sank down into the warm embrace of the water all she could think about was Jamal. How his hand had felt in her, how his cologne had smelled, how his lips had tasted from their brief kiss. She was in seventh heaven. She even started remembering the first time she'd seen him. She'd been seven then and had vowed then and there that she would never love another man. How silly she'd been. He had married by the time that she was ten but she'd still kept right on hoping.  
  
Alex smiled as she remember him one Christmas at Quatre's and how he'd given her a beautiful pendant of a dove in flight. She'd treasured it from the moment he'd given it to her. When it was stolen she'd been heartbroken. She had a feeling that the doctors had pawned it for money. Then she remembered the final warning they'd given her: Never fall in love.  
  
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Dream Keeper: Well, here's the next chapter! Yeah! It's up! *does a dance around the room*  
  
Christa: To all who are reading this, would you mind reading our latest fic, Voice of Evil? Its suppose to be really good. Supposedly the characters aren't too OOC either! Yeah! We're getting better!  
  
Dream Keeper: So how'd you like the ending? *gives readers a look* Did you REALLY expect us to give up a chance to put in a DECENT cliffhanger? Perish the thought!  
  
Christa: *snickers* Okay, well, to all those who have read, don't forget to R&R which mean read AND REVIEW!! Especially you Lady Stardancer! You haven't reviewed in forever! I won't update until EVERYONE who reads this has reviewed! So make it snappy! Only about two maybe three chapters to go! Yeah!  
  
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	14. Chances Taken, Chances Lost

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Okay, here is the next chapter. We got tired of waiting on y'all so we gave up. We hope you enjoy it. Don't know how long it's gunna be or how good. We're having a bad day so there's not telling who we're gunna kill! *evil laugh* Anywho, ON WITH THE FIC!  
  
Dream Keeper: Oh, and we have no idea how to describe skating (nor do we know anything about it really!) and we're terrible about high wire scenes, so please! No killie!  
  
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Alex woke up to the sun shining through the blinds right into her eyes. With a groan she rolled over and tried to pull the covers over her head. They were snatched away quickly and she groped blindly for them, trying in vain to recover her lost warmth.  
  
"Sorry, I don't think so. We've got plenty of stuff to do today and it's too nice a day to sleep in," Trowa said in a cheery voice.  
  
"I so wish I could kill you," she muttered into her pillow. The words were garbled, but he understood the intent behind them.  
  
"You'll have to get out of bed before you can do that sunshine. Get up." With that he walked away. taking her blanket with him. She contemplated crawling into his bed for a moment but dismissed the idea quickly. People would get the wrong idea _again_ and she didn't want to deal with it. So that meant dragging her lazy bones out of bed.  
  
"God I wish it was raining."  
  
~*~  
  
Half an hour later she was outside helping to set up for that night's performance. They were trying out two new acts and she was in one of them so she had double the work to do. Not only did she have to practice and help Trowa feed the animals, but Cathy wanted her to play target again. On top of that, Jamal was coming by again after the show.  
  
The work never ends around here but I guess that's what makes it fun, she thought as she rigged the tightrope. Out of habit she double-checked EVERY wire to make sure none were loose or frayed. She'd do it again right before the show, just in case. No need to take chances when simple caution will keep accidents from happening, she thought.  
  
"Hey, Alex, come play target, will you?" Cathy shouted to her over the noise of the tent.  
  
"Sure thing Cathy," she shouted back. On her way over to her though a cocky young man came up behind her and put his arms around her, his hands landing perfectly on her breasts.  
  
"Want to go out with me tonight?" he asked slyly before her fist smashed into his mouth. He stepped back a pace or two, releasing her and she took the opportunity to introduce his nose to the heel of her hand, breaking it instantly. He fell to the ground crying out in pain. He went still when she stepped forward and placed her foot very precariously between his legs and put a little of her weight on that foot.  
  
"You might try being a gentleman next time you try to get any girl to go out with you. It might get you better results, and you should try to learn some manners. Some girls don't appreciate being fondled. This was just a warning by the way. You'll get worse if you ever touch me again. Got it?" She leaned a little more weight on her foot and he readily agreed. Alex nodded and started to walk away.  
  
The young man struggled to his feet, with the aid of two of his friends and shouted after her, "Why should anyone treat you like a lady? Aren't you just a little hussy like the rest of 'em? You're probably even sleeping with that guy you're living with. What's his name, the freak that doesn't talk? Or are you one of his byblows? I'm sure he's got several and you look an awful lot like him. Or did your family just not want you because you're such a freak, like him? Do they hate you just for living?"  
  
Alex lost all of her control and jumped at him. A very rough fistfight followed that involved several people and lasted for a few minutes despite the fact that several adults tried to break up the melee. Trowa finally waded in to fish out his charge and put an efficient stop to the fight.  
  
"What is going on here?!" he demanded, his voice dangerously calm, his eyes flashing.  
  
Alex met his hard stare and refused to look away as she answered. "What the hell does it look like, Trowa? It's a fistfight. I'd appreciate it if you would unhand me so I can get back to teaching this pond scum a lesson!" Trowa looked at them for the first time since he'd come and his eyes widened in surprise. All three men were bleeding from various injuries ranging from split lips, to broken noses. One of them was even clutching his wrist, which was hanging at an odd angle.  
  
"I don't think so. You've done more harm to them than they have to you. Who was helping you?" he asked, knowing she couldn't have done that much damage on her own.  
  
"I didn't have any help."  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!" the manager yelled as he came running up. When he caught sight of the men he stopped dead in his tracks. "Who did this?" he demanded. All three pointed to Alex. "Alex, what in gods name gave you the right to do this?!"  
  
Alex said nothing for a moment as she matched him glare for glare. Finally the manager looked away and she spat at her opponents' feet. "I'm nobody's byblow," she growled as she stalked off.  
  
The manager's mouth dropped open when he understood exactly what had been meant. It nearly touched the ground when other members of the circus told him exactly what had happened. Trowa left when he started yelling at the young men, saying something about them never working at the circus again.  
  
Trowa found Alex sitting outside the trailer in the shade of a nearby tree, with her head buried in her hands. "Are you okay?" he asked her. When she looked up her eyes held a strange light to them and when she spoke her voice was painfully under control.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I came to find out if you were okay," he said simply.  
  
"Oh, so you're not going to tell me that fighting is wrong, and that I shouldn't have been doing it? You're not going to tell me that I'm not allowed to go anywhere because I beat up some innocent jerks? You're not going to tell me that I'm going to be fired?" her voice lowered to a mere whisper and she asked, "You're not going to tell me to leave?"  
  
Trowa fought back the urge to laugh and sat down beside her. "From your first questions, I take it you talked to Happy?" She nodded and he continued. "I can understand part of the reason you did what you did, for them calling you a bastard, but you shouldn't fight anyway." He held up his hand to forestall any arguments. "You're not in trouble and I couldn't punish you even if I wanted to. You're your own person and you will do what you think is right at the time. I don't ask any more then that you think about your actions from now on before you do something.  
  
"I don't think you're going to be fired. The manager looked more upset with those guys than the fact that you were fighting. Actually, he even let me back into the circus when I nearly destroyed it."  
  
"I remember," she said softly.  
  
"You were there? Hmm. interesting. Anyway, so he won't fire you."  
  
"You're still going to kick me out though, aren't you," she stated more than asked. She looked away, towards the bustling people setting up for the night's show.  
  
"No, I'm not. I have no reason to do that, nor have you ever given me reason."  
  
"Are you serious?" she asked, daring to hope he wasn't playing with her.  
  
"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked her.  
  
She looked at him again, her eyes searching his for an answer. "No, you haven't," she said finally. "Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome. You should know by now that we owe you everything."  
  
"I should hope that's not the only reason you're letting me stay," she said bitterly.  
  
"No, I'm doing it out of kindness and because I want to. You're an enchanting girl when you want to be. You just need to learn to live a normal life where you don't have people shooting at you or betraying you whenever you turn around."  
  
"I think I am learning how to trust again. I hope you'll forgive me if I still seem a little distant."  
  
"It's fine," he assured her. "Ask Cathy. I was the same way."  
  
Alex laughed for a moment. "I never thought I'd hear you willingly admit that." Then she sobered again. "They were right you know."  
  
"Right about what?" he asked, unsure of what she meant. "You're not anyone's byblow and you know it."  
  
"No, that's not all they said. They accused me of only being here because my family hated me because I acted like you, and because they just plain hate me. They hate me just for living."  
  
"Like me?" he asked, slightly hurt.  
  
"Not like you," she corrected. "Like you used to."  
  
Trowa tried to think of something to say to her to comfort her, but he couldn't think of a single thing to say. "You are here because they hate you right now, but you have to remember that they really don't have grounds to."  
  
"After what I said to them? Maybe most of them don't have grounds to hate me, but Heero? After all I said to him?"  
  
"I think Heero would forgive you if he understood what you are doing. Personally the reason I think he held you at arms length is because you remind him so much of all of us when we were younger. He's afraid to let you got close to anyone because he remembers exactly how hard it was to live from day to day on a mi-," Alex put her hands over his lips and gave him a warning look.  
  
"Be careful what you say," she told him as she stood up and stretched.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked, surprised at her sudden mood swing. One minute she was sad and looked, to him at least, like she was on the verge of tears, and the next she was perky and happy. "And what is up with the sudden mood swing?"  
  
She turned back around and looked at him. "Cathy needed a target and I walked off without complying. Now I'm going back to help her and to beg for mercy," she said simply before turning around again and starting to walk off.  
  
"And the mood swing?" he prompted.  
  
"It's my defense, Trowa. If I can't handle something at a specific point in time, I pretend it never happened," she told him without turning around. "It's worked for me this long. I can handle being sub-human for a little longer if it means saving everyone. Just let me deal with my problems in my own way." Before he could reply she took of at a run, headed for the tent where she'd last seen Cathy.  
  
~*~  
  
Trowa looked out the window of the trailer an hour later to catch a glimpse of Alex walking towards the door. Something looked wrong, but he couldn't place it until she walked in. Her face was frozen in a calm mask, but behind it pain raged and anger seethed. A bloody rag was clutched to her shoulder and from between her fingers peeked-  
  
"Damn! Alex, what happened?!" Trowa cried, leaping up from his place at the table and rushing over towards her. Gently he steered her towards the bathroom and bade her to sit down on the rim of the bathtub. Carefully he pulled the bloody rag away from the wound and looked at it.  
  
"Cathy hit me, what the hell does it look like?" she growled.  
  
"What's going on?" Quatre asked, coming out from the bedroom as soon as he was sure that Alex hadn't brought anyone else with her. "Oh my god!" he said, coming over to her. Trowa, who needed room to work, frowned at him and he backed out of the bathroom. "What happened?" he asked. He was forced to wait for an answer because right then Trowa grasped the hilt of the knife buried in Alex's shoulder and pulled it from the wound.  
  
Alex, who'd been doing quite well to hold off the pain, screamed as the knife was pulled from her shoulder and slumped forward, gasping for breath. Blood poured forth from her shoulder and Trowa was quick to apply pressure to it.  
  
"Oh, fuck! She is never using me as a dummy again!" Alex swore as she blinked back tears. "Ouch. Shit, this hurts." Trowa, for once, saw fit to ignore her cursing.  
  
The door of the trailer banged open and shut again and before anyone could react Cathy came running towards them. "Alex, I am so sorry I-," her words were choked off when she caught sight of Quatre standing there. Her eyes became wide with shock and she tried to run from the trailer but Quatre was quicker. He reached out and, just before she reached the door, grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth.  
  
"It's okay Catherine. Please calm down. I know I'm not your favorite person in the world, but you have to stay quiet, okay?" he asked as he lead her over to chair. "I'm going to let go now, but if you scream, we're going to have to gag you. Understand?" Cathy nodded and Quatre slowly took his hand away from her mouth.  
  
"Trowa, what in gods name is going on here? I thought he was dead?" A yelp of pain met her ears and the sound of ripping cloth. "What's going on in there?"  
  
"Tie it a little more gently, please!" Alex snapped when Trowa tightened the bandage too quickly.  
  
"Sorry," he replied as he tied it off and stepped out of the bathroom. "To answer your question, Cathy, some people were trying to kill Quatre and we deemed it necessary to let everyone think he was dead while we work on finding out who his would be killer is."  
  
Alex immerged from the bathroom then and Cathy started apologizing like a mad woman. Alex finally held up a hand, bringing her mad gibbering to a stop. "What's done is done, Cathy. I'm a little annoyed to have a hole in me today of all days, but I guess that's life. I'll just have to be extra careful tonight and if it hurts too bad I'll tell someone so they can take my place," she said when she received a glare from Trowa. "Just why the hell did you feel inclined to skewer me with a knife anyway?" she felt she had the right to ask.  
  
"I didn't mean to, I swear. You just got this really odd look in your eyes like you wanted to die, or were thinking about your own death, or something. It scared me and the knife slipped when I threw it. I should have learned the first time not to loose concentration, but I guess hurting Trowa didn't teach me anything."  
  
"Oh, I guess I won't let my mind wander anymore when I'm mad then. Okay," Alex said as she walked over to one of the cabinets and tried to reach the aspirin. She couldn't reach it and she couldn't stretch well to get it, so Trowa went over and helped her. "Damn, this is annoying," she complained after swallowing the pills.  
  
"Language," Trowa reminded her.  
  
"Be nice to me today. I deserve a little bit of respite. I _hurt_ and not just from Cathy."  
  
"Part of that's your own fault," Trowa reminded her, but resigned himself to let her curse at least for the rest of the day.  
  
"You know, I'm starting to think you people are bad luck," Alex joked, trying to do anything to keep from thinking about the pain in her arm. "Every time I seem to heal up and I get around you, I always end up with another hole in me."  
  
"Alex, I said I was sorry," Cathy apologized again.  
  
"Cathy, let it alone. I'm making bad jokes to keep from gritting my teeth until they crack. Give me some time until the drugs kick in and then I'll be fine," she assured the older woman.  
  
"You're taking this way too lightly," Quatre admonished. "How exactly do you expect to perform on the high wire tonight? And all the tumbling you do every show?"  
  
"Well, today's the last show until we go to earth, yes?" Alex asked, looking at the other two performers. Both nodded and she continued, "And it'll take about three days to pack and we don't start showing for another week or so, yes?" Again they nodded. "So I'll perform tonight and then take time off to heal. The people here are expecting me to perform and they'll be disappointed if I don't."  
  
"But you have to take care of yourself!" Quatre exclaimed.  
  
"Quatre, it doesn't make much difference," Alex reminded him gently. "Besides, you can't stop me, Happy. You're dead."  
  
Quatre's mouth dropped open at the same time Cathy said, "Happy? This is your hamster?!"  
  
Trowa sighed and nodded. "I'm afraid it is. Pretty scruffy looking isn't it? But hey, it does tricks. If you ask him nicely he can even make dinner. How many other hamsters do you know that can do that?" Quatre pretended to pout and Cathy couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"And how did this come about, prey tell?"  
  
"He woke me up in a way-to-freaking-happy mood on a way-too-sunshiny-day with way-too-peaceful-music playing. Not to mention he was wearing a smile to boot," Alex explained. "So you're going to keep this a secret, right?"  
  
"I guess I have to if your looking for his would be killer," Cathy confirmed.  
  
"Good," Trowa said happily. "That's one less thing to worry about. You can help take care of him from now on."  
  
~*~  
  
Jamal came by the circus just as the high wire act was getting under way. All of the workers knew him by now so they let him in without buying a ticket. He took a seat in the front row and smiled as he saw Alex come out into the arena. She seemed to be holding herself a little differently, but he passed it off as her performing attitude.  
  
Alex was up on the high wire before she thought about anything. She'd done the normal performance with Trowa and Cathy a million times before in practice. This was just another practice, but with people and a little twist to it. She didn't think about anything as she went through the routine, letting her body work on auto pilot. All too soon Trowa and Cathy left the wire to let her do her new act.  
  
Alex brought her mind back from the oblivion it had been in and instantly felt the searing pain in her shoulder. She'd promised Trowa that she'd switch with someone else if it hurt too badly, but no one else knew her act. Roughly she shoved the pain away into a small corner of her mind to be ignored until the end of the show. Then she set about doing very fast paced tumbling.  
  
Her body was as tense as a wire as she performed, remembering that she was _not_ attached to a safely wire. It could get tangled around her neck and kill her if she fell. It was risky either way, but she knew she was an adrenaline junky at heart, loving every minute of her terror.  
  
She was just completing a summersault and getting up from it when the wire started vibrating oddly. Too late she realized that she'd already committed herself to her next jump and could not save herself from it. The backflip was completed smoothly, for which she thanked god, but as her feet landed the wire jerked violently and her feet slipped from it, causing her to fall backwards over one side.  
  
She turned it into something like a swimmers back-dive before she reached out, making sure not to look desperate, and snagged the wire, and flipped over it, gaining momentum with every circle she completed. The high wire snapped completely and the line went entirely slack.  
  
The crowd gasped and a few women screamed as she plummeted towards the ground. Alex knew she was in trouble, but ignored the side of her that wanted to panic. Instead, she gripped the line as tightly as she could, knowing she would stop about half way down, having been towards one side. When the line jerked taunt she let go, did a triple flip, and came to rest gracefully on her feet. Quickly she bowed and put a shaky smile on her face, knowing the crowd would expect it.  
  
The crowd applauded, thinking it was part of the show, and the lights went black as crewmen swarmed the ring to dismantle the trapeze. They didn't go out quickly enough, though, for her to miss the horrified look on Jamal's face. Alex didn't have time to worry about it because the pain she'd shoved aside came back four fold and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out as she was led away by Cathy and Trowa.  
  
Once they were outside and away from everyone else she let loose a stream of curses that would have shaved the varnish off of walls. It was so unbelievably descriptive that even Trowa ended up blushing. That in itself was one mean feat seeing as he'd been a soldier once.  
  
"Sit down, we'll see what we can do about this," Trowa said, his voice shaking with suppressed anger.  
  
"Cathy, go get Doc," Alex instructed, knowing she was going to scream and cry, yet wanting to save Cathy the pain. Cathy nodded, seeing her out, and left at a run. Alex then resumed describing the many very painful things she was going to do to the crewmen who'd set up the wire.  
  
"Alex, oh my god, are you okay? What the _hell_ happened? You nearly scared me to death! Are you hurt?!" Jamal asked franticly as he ran up, blushing when he realized exactly what she was saying.  
  
". and then I'm going to castrate them, or maybe unman them wholly. no, I'm not okay," she answered curtly. "Then I'm going to feed their dicks to the dogs! Then I'll remove their fingers one by one, _without_ using novocaine- ," she stopped and screamed as Trowa finally finished unwinding the bandage. It had stuck to her skin because of the dried blood. "Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck this _HURTS_!" she yelled.  
  
Jamal's face went white as a sheet and he managed to stutter, "What happened to you?" Trowa thought it would be better if he didn't say anything since at the moment all he wanted to do was beat some sense into the young girl in front of him.  
  
"Cathy skewered me earlier when I was playing dummy for her," Alex said through gritted teeth. Doc arrived right then, took one look at the wound, and gave her _the glare_. The one that said, 'you are dead after I find out how this happened.' "Oh, shut up!" Alex snapped, not even waiting for him to say it.  
  
Cathy explained everything hurriedly as the doctor re-stitched her wound after pulling out the job Trowa had done. Alex sat there bearing the pain until it became too much for her to handle and the blessedness of unconsciousness washed over her.  
  
~*~  
  
When Alex came around she was lying on Trowa's bed and it was already morning. She sat up quickly in shock, wincing as the new stitches in her shoulder pulled.  
  
I am so not _EVER_ playing dummy again, Alex thought as she looked around the room. To her pure amazement she saw Jamal slumped over, asleep in a chair next to the bed. She looked down and saw that she was dressed in only a nightgown, whereas the night before she'd been in her costume.  
  
She got out of bed and sneaked out of the room as silently as a cat after putting a blanket over Jamal's shoulders. Trowa was in the kitchen cooking when she immerged and immediately she leveled him with a glare.  
  
"What is he still doing here?" she asked.  
  
"The last train left and I couldn't take him home last night because cops were crawling all over the place so I couldn't leave. I had hacking to do."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, curious in spite of herself.  
  
"You didn't have a file in the Hall of Records. I had to make one for you really quick before they came in asking about you," he told her, his voice betraying little of the worry he felt. If he'd been caught hacking there would have been hell to pay, not to mention Alex would have to explain herself. somehow. As an afterthought he added, "You know, next time you decide to go gallivanting around, you need a file."  
  
"Watch what you say!" Alex hissed, throwing a nervous glance back towards the bedroom. "What happened to Happy?" she asked, realizing that was the important question.  
  
"I sent Happy to stay with Cathy for a while," he said as he took the bacon out of the pan and started making gravy. He barely caught Alex's knowing smile and raised an eyebrow. "What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," she said, her mood brightening quickly.  
  
"What?" Trowa asked again perplexed at her smugness. "You look like a cat who's just gotten a pitcher of cream."  
  
"Nothing, I said," Alex replied, her grin widening.  
  
Trowa took in her grin at the topic of discussion and put two and two together. "Oh. Oh! Those two?" he asked. If it was possible, the look on her face turned even smugger and he had to laugh. "You mean. Those two?"  
  
Alex joined his laughter and nodded. "It doesn't seem very likely, does it? Especially after the times he stole you from her."  
  
"I know. I never would have suspected," he told her. "Get out the plates while I run over and tell Cathy to come get breakfast.  
  
"No!" she said hastily. Trowa looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "Well you see, um. He told me once when I was staying with him that you'd. um. interrupted them at a very inconvenient time." She coughed and both of the turned red.  
  
"I guess we shall not complete that mistake," he said when he finally got his blushing under control. "You know, I don't think I ever felt more like an awkward teenager in my life until you came around."  
  
"Sorry, Uncle Trowa. That's just the way life goes." He finished setting the food on the table before disappearing into the bathroom. "Wake Jamal up," he said from within.  
  
Alex looked down at herself and felt the heat rising into her cheeks again. All she was wearing was a nightgown. that didn't even reach down to her knees! Oh well, she thought as she entered the bedroom and got her bag, I can change before I wake him up.  
  
She cast one last glance over her shoulder to assure herself that he was asleep before she pulled off her nightshirt and slipped on a pair of jeans. She had just taken off her bra to change it when she heard a surprised yelp from behind her. She suppressed the instinct to spin around, instead opting to finish changing and pull on a shirt with as much dignity as she could muster. When she turned around she could see Jamal was turning a beautiful shade of fuchsia.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said hurriedly, knowing how embarrassed he must be. "I thought you were still asleep and Uncle Trowa is in the bathroom." She let the sentence trail off, suddenly aware that if she blushed any deeper a shade of red, she'd turn purple.  
  
I am sooooooooo going to kill Trowa, she thought. I _know_ he had to have planned this!  
  
"It's okay, I didn't see much," he told her.  
  
"Anyway," she said, politely forgetting the awkward moment had ever happened. "Breakfast is ready whenever you are."  
  
"Okay," he said as he stood up and followed her out into the kitchen. Trowa had just taken a tray of biscuits out of the oven and set them out on the table.  
  
"Dig in," he told them. He marked the way Jamal was moving and how uncomfortable he seemed and smirked. He hadn't meant for Alex to be caught dressing, but it was having a funny outcome. Jamal must have noticed his scrutiny because he leveled a glare at him that would have melted steel. Trowa just shook his head and pretended not to notice.  
  
"So what are we doing today?" he asked. "You're _not_ working at all until your shoulder heals and I have the day off so I am not working either."  
  
Alex gracefully arched one eyebrow and asked, "Because you have the day off or because you don't want to?"  
  
"Both," Trowa told her truthfully. "Though if it wasn't my day off I'd be out there right now." She made a comical face of distaste but her eyes sought his, showing him she wanted to talk about it later. "So what do you want to do?" he asked, holding her eyes a split second longer to show he understood. Jamal remained oblivious to their silent communication. "We could always go swimming."  
  
"NO!" Alex yelped, terror coming into her eyes.  
  
"Maybe I should leave," Jamal said, suddenly feeling as if he didn't belong.  
  
"No, you're invited if you want," Trowa graciously extended the invitation. Jamal just nodded and sat back down. "Now what was that Alex? I don't believe the other half of the colony heard you."  
  
"No, no swimming!" Alex said desperately.  
  
"If you don't have a bathing suit, we could get one for you real quick as long as you don't take two hours." He marked that Jamal politely covered his mouth with his hand to hide his smile.  
  
"No, that's perfectly okay," Alex assured him hurriedly. An instant later her eyes shown. "What about ice skating?"  
  
"Ice skating?" both men asked simultaneously. Neither could believe that such a tomboy would want to do something so girly.  
  
"What's wrong with that? It's fun and it's colder than a swimming pool would be." She knew that it was going to be almost unbearably hot in the colony again. The air coolers needed repairs _again_ and only one or two could be running at a time.  
  
"Sounds good to me," Jamal said carefully. "But I'm saying now that I hold no illusions as to how well I skate on any surface."  
  
"I've only been ice skating once, but I'll give it another go," Trowa agreed.  
  
"Cool!" Alex said, her eyes light up like a child's. "When do we leave?"  
  
~*~  
  
Two hours later all three of them were lacing up their skates and getting ready to hit the ice. The rink was theirs alone because most people were either in their houses with the AC turned way up, at church, or at one of the many pools. No one had even thought to go to the ice rink.  
  
"Dang, my laces broke," Alex said as she held up the frayed end left in her hand. "I'll be right back." It didn't take her long to get the skates off and get them replaced. As she was walking away the cashier stopped her.  
  
"Ma'am? Ma'am!" the cashier called.  
  
"Um, yes?" Alex asked, wondering if she'd done something wrong already.  
  
"Could you give these to your father and your husband?" she asked, handing her stickers that they were supposed to wear on their shirts. "It's a mandatory thing," she explained.  
  
"Oh, all right. Thank you," she said as she walked away. By the time she approached Trowa and Jamal she was giggling loudly.  
  
"What's so funny?" Jamal asked, wondering if he'd spilled something on his shirt.  
  
"Its what the lady said when she handed these to me," Alex told them, handing them the stickers. "She asked me to give them to my father and husband."  
  
Trowa laughed outright but Jamal was so shocked that all he could do was blink. Alex already had her skates on by the time that he had recovered his composure.  
  
"Shall we?" she asked and he nodded, looking dubiously at the ice.  
  
"Remind me why I'm doing this?" Jamal said as he slipped out onto the ice. and fell smack on his butt.  
  
Alex laughed and helped him up saying, "Because Trowa invited you along and you agreed."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Remind me next time to stick to swimming." He tried skating away by himself then, but ended up exactly where he'd started. As Alex helped him up again Trowa skated past them and made a face at them.  
  
"Do you need help?" Alex asked, unsure whether to chase after her uncle or not.  
  
"For once I am going to sacrifice my pride and say yes, please help me?" Jamal said, with mock humility. They made it around the rink three times before he got the hang of it and started skating on his own. Alex was a bit sad to let go of him, but she was glad he could skate without her having to hold him up. Her shoulder was throbbing from the exertion.  
  
"Well, at least I can have some fun now," she said to herself as she took off on a warm-up run around the rink. She did several laps, overtaking the others twice, before she sank down into the routines that she'd taught herself years ago. First it was just silly things like skating backwards or axles, which left the men's mouths hanging open, but soon she progressed into more advanced moves.  
  
She did one more lap around the rink, gaining speed, before she jumped into the air and executed a triple axle. She still had enough momentum to complete two more before she slowed down and went down into an almost sitting position, spinning all the while. (don't know what to call it! Agh!)  
  
She went on to do a number of moves that the men had only seen the pros attempt before she came to a halt, her arms out to her sides, breathing heavily. Only when applause erupted did she even seem to realize what she'd been doing.  
  
Alex blinked and looked at the small group of people who'd gathered to watch her skate. She hadn't realized she'd been showing off until she'd already finished. When she looked around for Jamal and Trowa she couldn't find them until the looked towards the opposite side of the rink. They were standing with the crowd, both wearing nearly identical expressions of shock.  
  
Alex blushed heavily as she skated over to them. The cashier came running out from behind the counter to intercept her. "Ma'am, everyone here has been asking if you'd give them a sample of what you'd do with music."  
  
"What?" Alex asked, not sure what she meant.  
  
"They want me to put an overhead song on and have you skate to it," the woman explained, excitement evident in her voice.  
  
Alex looked to her companion for help but both of them shrugged, indicating for her to do what she wanted. Reluctantly Alex agreed and stepped back out onto the ice. The woman put in some kind of really upbeat CD and she had to wait a moment to start so she could pick up the beat. It didn't take long and before people had time to get board, she started to skate.  
  
Alex put all of her heart into her performance, not even noticing what she was doing until she heard a gasp from the crowd. She found herself pulling off Trowa's famous triple _flip_ in the air, on _skates_! She almost panicked, but remembered just in time that she could just let go. She did and her body finished the move flawlessly. In fact, it finished a lot of gymnastics moves flawlessly as she skated. Somehow she even managed to do a cartwheel.  
  
By the time she came to rest before her audience everyone was silent. Then the applause started and she bowed respectfully before stepping off the ice. Jamal and Trowa were sitting on the benches next to the rink, their eyes following her every move. She thought they were happy with her until Trowa glared daggers at her.  
  
"Just what do you think you were doing?" he demanded, getting to his feet so he could look down at her. "You could have seriously hurt yourself!"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, not sure what had brought about his sudden change in mood. Trowa said nothing, pointed testily at her shoulder. She looked down and discovered a dot of blood about the size of a quarter gracing her shoulder. "Damn!" she swore as she plopped down on the bench and moved the shoulder of her shirt out of the way. The wound didn't hurt anymore, probably because it was numb, but any time she worked it too much it bled.  
  
"Maybe we should get you an arm splint so you _won't_ move your arm," Jamal suggested. His voice was colored with disapproval, but he tried to keep the words themselves light. Alex merely rolled her eyes and lifted the bandages a small amount to see if she'd ripped any more stitches. Amazingly enough she hadn't.  
  
"That won't do me any good and you know it," she told him flat out, ending the discussion. Someone off to their right coughed politely and all three of them looked up. A tall, thin man was standing there gazing at them with excitement written clearly on his face.  
  
"Hello my dear," he said kindly. "Could you tell me exactly what it was you were doing out there?"  
  
Alex's eyes took on a wary look. "I'm not sure what you mean. If I broke any of the rules, I'm very sorry. It won't happen again, I can assure you. I didn't mean to show off, but everyone wanted me to so." she let the sentence trail off, leaving him an opening.  
  
"No, that's not what I mean at all." His eyes blinked rapidly as they seemed to drink everything in that was going on around him. They seemed to catch nothing, but Alex somehow knew that in reality they _missed_ nothing. She also noted that he had a pleasant British accent. "I mean, what do you call those moves you were doing out there? I've never seen many of them and I have been around the rink long enough to know."  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. I don't even know what I did, to tell the truth," she admitted. "I just skated, I didn't pay any attention to what I did. I have a feeling that if I did pay attention, I'd botch it worse than a beginner."  
  
"You don't have a clue what you were doing?!" the man asked, his mouth going slack.  
  
Trowa cleared his throat and said as politely as he could, "And you are sir?"  
  
"Oh, goodness me. I'm terribly sorry. With all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Myron Burris." He held out his hand and Trowa took it, shaking it once before he dropped it.  
  
"Trowa Barton," he replied.  
  
"I'm Jamal Swift," the younger man said politely shaking the older man's hand when it was offered.  
  
"And you are, my lady?" he asked, turning to her again. He leaned forward in his excitement and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.  
  
"Alex," she replied.  
  
"Alex.?"  
  
"Just Alex," she told him.  
  
"Come now, my dear girl. You must have a last name to go with that."  
  
Alex shifted uncomfortably on the bench and shook her head minutely, replying, "Not one that matters now."  
  
"I'm not sure I understand," the man prompted.  
  
"You know, if a lady said something as insignificant as a name wasn't important, then a gentleman would politely disengage from the subject, yes?" Jamal stated. The implied insult stuck the man like a needle.  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"No, its fine Jamal. I don't care," Alex told him as she got up and settled her hand comfortably on his arm in a gesture of good will. "It's just a name." She walked over to the railing surrounding the rink and leaned against it. "I'm an orphan, Mr. Burris," she told him as straightforward as she could.  
  
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I really shouldn't have pried into your business," he apologized, seeming genuinely flustered.  
  
"No, you shouldn't have," Trowa agreed, earning himself a warning glare from his charge.  
  
"So where did you learn to skate like that?" Myron asked, changing the subject as tactfully as he could. "I mean, who did you study under?"  
  
Alex turned to look at him, a quizzical look on her face. "Study under? I never studied under anyone."  
  
"What? You must be joking. A skater with even half your talent would have had to study under a master, or even an Olympian. Tell me who it was child."  
  
"I'm not lying," she told him, letting her see her annoyance. "I didn't study under anyone. It wasn't possible when I was younger, and it won't be possible now."  
  
"Good heavens, please stop with the riddles. Why is it not possible?"  
  
Alex sighed and wondered vaguely if the conversation was even worth the effort. "I lived in New York, New York in what used to be America before the E-sun came about. I lived in Queens, New York actually, though most people referred to it as the burrow. I can't do it now because I'm traveling with the circus. That actually probably explains most of what I did out there."  
  
"Queens?!" the man squeaked, turning a few heads momentarily. In some perverse corner of her mind, Alex had to wonder which man's jaw was dragging lowest on the ground at the moment.  
  
"Yes, now do you see exactly why it was impossible for me to study under anyone? I just spent all my free time sneaking into rinks or using the new lake that they dug a few years back."  
  
"Fascinating," Myron said, more than a little uncomfortable now with the woman who was standing before him.  
  
"Not really. You just learn to spend every moment you have doing the things you love there, because you never know when you're going to die." She shrugged uncaringly and went back to watching the amateurs.  
  
"And exactly how old _are_ you, ma'am?"  
  
"How old do I look?" she asked wondering how far off this man would be.  
  
"Mid to late twenties," he said delicately.  
  
"No, no, no. Sorry to disappoint you, I'm only sixteen."  
  
"Sixteen?!" he yelped, again drawing the eyes of anyone near.  
  
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?" God, where did this guy come from, she wondered.  
  
"Young lady, I'm begging you. Please come with me and train at the Olympian gym to participate in the ESUN Olympics next year," the man said hurriedly. "I'm a talent agent and I have to admit. In all of my fifty-four years I have never once seen anyone with as much talent as you have. We could whip you into a gold medallist in no time!"  
  
Alex stopped watching the skaters and looked at him. Her scrutiny evidently made him very uncomfortable because he shifted restlessly from foot to foot. Finally she turned back away from him and said, "I'm sorry. I don't have that much of my time to waste."  
  
"Waste? Waste you say?!" he demanded angrily, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. She winced as his thumb dug into her wound but he evidently took it as a sign of fear because he started to raise his voice. "You have more raw talent than any other three contestants combined and you call training it a waste? _Not_ training it is the waste young lady!" he yelled. Jamal and Trowa were instantly there, pulling him off of her.  
  
"Don't you dare touch her again or so help me I will-," Jamal started to say but Alex placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.  
  
"It's okay Jamal. He doesn't own me so he can't make me do anything. Don't soil your hands on something that's below you like that." The man sputtered in shock when he was released from the other men's hands. "Just what is the name of your company sir?" she asked.  
  
"Roxtan talent agency," he told her curtly. "Though if you think we're taking you on now, you're sorely mistaken."  
  
"No, sir," she told him flat out. "I have no illusions about your company taking me. If I wanted, I could have any number of other companies at my feet begging me to sign with them just like you were less than a moment ago. Now, if you'll excuse us, I believe my friends still have plenty of time to skate before the session closes." Myron didn't even dignify her rudeness with an answer. Instead he straightened his jacket and walked off.  
  
~*~  
  
"So why wouldn't you sign with him?" Jamal wanted to know later after he and Trowa had gotten their fill of falling. "I mean, besides the fact that he's a pompous jerk?"  
  
"To tell the truth, I knew he was from the beginning. He wouldn't meet my eye like a decent guy would. I didn't sign because I don't want to perform in front of all those people. It's one thing in the circus. You don't get criticized too badly there, but on the ice?" She shuddered for affect. "No thank you!"  
  
"Yeah, I guess I see what you mean," he said. "But it would have been major cool."  
  
"You also have to remember, fame isn't everything," Trowa chided gently. They were all walking down a street in the park after having gotten (and finished) ice-cream cones. The path they were walking intercepted a small, but deep, stream that many people were playing in and both he and Jamal seemed to get the same idea at the same time.  
  
"So, Alex, do you have a watch or anything valuable on you?" Jamal asked as casually as he could. He received an odd look, but she did decide to answer.  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"Good!" he and Trowa shouted at the same time as they picked her up and tossed her over the side of the bridge. It was only a few feet to the water, but the water itself was 6 ½ feet deep at its worse, giving her plenty of space before she'd hit bottom.  
  
Alex came up sputtering and splashing around, yelling at them incoherently. Both guys laughed at her until her splashing became wilder and her screams more terrified. Instantly both of them went over the side of the bridge and into the water to save her. She clung to them desperately as they drug her to shore.  
  
"Why the heck didn't you tell us you couldn't swim?" Trowa asked as he willed his heart to stop racing and to kindly get out of his throat.  
  
"Because I didn't know you were going to throw me in," she said angrily.  
  
"God, you ice skated on a frozen lake, but you can't swim? How much sense does that make?" Jamal mused as he wrung water out of his shirt.  
  
"A whole lot of sense for me," she said. When both of them looked at her she grinned sheepishly and said, "I'm an adrenaline junky. I can't help it."  
  
"Oh," was the only reply she got.  
  
The three spent the next hour lying in the "sun" to dry in the heat. They didn't feel like walking home wet and the shade of the trees with long grass to boot was too much to pass up.  
  
Just as they started to leave Alex spotted someone that looked vaguely familiar to her. When finally she placed the face, she grabbed Jamal's hand and told him to keep Trowa distracted. Then she ran over to the woman she'd seen.  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am," Alex said politely. Quick as a snake she grabbed the woman's sunglasses out of her pocket before she could notice.  
  
"Yes?" the woman asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, but my uncle saw you drop these and he wanted me to give them to you," she explained as she held up the sunglasses, pointing Trowa out. The woman's face froze as she caught sight of Alex's uncle and she stood stock-still.  
  
"What's his name?" the woman asked.  
  
"Trowa, but I believe someone called him Nanashii once. (Did I spell that right?!?!?!) I'm not sure what it means," she lied, "But I guess it meant something to him."  
  
The woman looked at her, a mixture of emotions playing across her face. The tension in the air was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. Somehow everyone else around them remained oblivious to the feelings that waged a war inside the delicate woman.  
  
"I can introduce you to him," Alex offered graciously. The woman nodded, as if in a trance, and followed.  
  
"Trowa!" Alex called as she came closer. Trowa looked up and for the first time in her whole life, Alex thought her uncle was going to faint. Only Jamal's hand shooting out and steadying him kept Trowa from falling.  
  
"M- Midii?!" he gasped.  
  
"Nanashii," she whispered, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. Even so many years later Trowa could not help but be captivated by her beauty. She stood only a few inches shorter than him, coming to about 5'7". Her beautiful blond hair still looked like the finest silk and her figure had only improved with age.  
  
She had been cute as a little girl. She was radiant as a woman. Her face was flawless as far as he was concerned. She had high cheekbones, accented by the rosy color they had acquired in the sun. Her lips looked like an artist had made them. But still, all her features paled in comparison to her eyes, her beautiful gray eyes. Trowa knew he could spend forever falling into their bottomless depths and never get tired of drowning in them.  
  
Midii also was caught off guard by his appearance. He had grown taller, as little boys were wont to do, and he had gotten more muscular. She knew that he would inevitably have more scars than the last time they'd met so many years ago, but she couldn't help but sigh at the thought of such a perfect body being damaged at all.  
  
His hair was longer and he still seemed to have a quiet air about him, but she got the biggest surprise of her life when she looked into his emerald eyes. Instead of being void like they had been, they were brimming with happiness; happiness that was only minutely incomplete because of his loss of her.  
  
"Midii?" he said again, unable to gather a coherent thought.  
  
"So you've finally found your name," Midii said, a smile creeping over her face.  
  
Jamal leaned over to Alex and whispered, "What the heck is going on here?"  
  
"You wouldn't understand if I told you," she whispered back as she took his hand and led him away. Once they were a respectable distance away from the two adults she smiled at him and let go of his hand. "So what now?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be able to understand?" he questioned, not able to fathom why she wouldn't tell him something. Alex's face became unreadable as she looked at him. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Jamal motioned to the tree they were standing near and said, "Do you want to sit down?" When she nodded he took a seat on the grass, leaning up against the tree. It was so tiny that it could only support him so Alex had to look around for a place to sit.  
  
Her face suddenly lost its eerie expression, shifting to one of pure mirth. Before Jamal could protest she was lying on the ground with her head in his lap. He blinked in surprise and couldn't help but smile at the adorable expression on her face. It was a look of pure pleasure mixed with uncertainty.  
  
"Now, what were we talking about?" she asked him.  
  
Jamal knew that she didn't feel very inclined to talk about her secrets from their many conversations so he decided to talk about something different to save her feelings. "So you're really from Queens?" he asked, remembering how shocked he'd been. He'd always heard that anyone from Queens was mean spirited, spiteful, ruthless, without manners, and horribly lacking in honor. That's one quality she possesses more than most, he thought.  
  
"Yeah. I lived there for a while," she said carefully. "Why?"  
  
"I always heard that it was a really rough place. I haven't seen you with any scars," he told her truthfully.  
  
"Well, I didn't live there my whole life," she told him. "Just for the last couple of years. As for scars, you haven't seen my body. Maybe I just choose not to wear clothes that flaunt them."  
  
Jamal blushed deeply and coughed to hide his discomfort, shifting his hips as he did. She evidently noticed his discomfort because she said, "Sorry. I forgot about that."  
  
"Um. yeah," he said. His voice sounded strained to his own ears so how, he wondered, did it sound to Alex. He found out soon enough because her eyes widened and she sat up quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was. er. that is. um." She stopped stammering and looked away. Jamal took the opportunity to force his raging hormones into submission.  
  
"It's okay. I'm just not used to waking up to beautiful women undressing in front of me." Oh god! I must sound like an idiot, he thought as he watched her trying to get comfortable.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say anything about beautiful," she told him, "But I'll believe you when you say that. Though, you do realize you could have any number of girls doing just that every morning."  
  
Jamal could almost always tell when someone was fishing for a complement and this didn't sound like one at all. It sounded to him like outright disbelief of the facts that he knew were true. "I probably could," he agreed carefully, "but then why would I want to? Every other girl I've ever met has been self centered and mean spirited. You're the first one I've met that cares more about other people than herself."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked, trying not to become alarmed. He can't possibly know about my mission, she assured herself.  
  
"Well, its kinda obvious," he told her. "I mean, no horrid person could like kids and you seem to like them more than most people. I saw you teaching that little girl how to skate. You didn't let her fall once, even though it meant you had to take a spill. You're a really good person. And I saw how you put yourself on the line for Trowa. You could have made a complete fool of yourself but you decided to sacrifice your pride in order to get those two together.  
  
"If that's not enough to prove it, look at your performance last night. Instead of calling off your new act that you'd announced just the day before, you went ahead and did it anyway, even though you were injured. The only time I've really ever seen you be selfish is when you're thinking about how best to castrate someone," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He'd meant to tell her those things as a fact, but they were coming out sounding like more.  
  
"I'm really not that great," Alex said. "If you knew me, you'd know that."  
  
"Well, I can't say I know you very well, but I can say that I still want to know you. You are that great to me, Alex. You're beautiful, you're funny, you're passionate about things you love, and I love that about you. I love _you_." Before he could loose his nerve Jamal claimed her lips in a kiss that drove all other thoughts from his mind.  
  
When the kiss broke both of them stared at each other, neither sure of what to say. They were saved the trouble because Trowa walked up then and cleared his throat to get their attention.  
  
"Well, I think we've had enough fun for one day. You're father will get mad if we don't return you to him soon so we'd better get going," he told them happily. "Do you want a ride home?"  
  
"No, thanks. I'll take the train," Jamal told him as he climbed to his feet before helping Alex up.  
  
"You sure?" Trowa felt inclined to ask.  
  
"Yeah. I'll see you later, Alex," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "Thank you for taking me along," he said to Trowa before he left.  
  
"Any time," Trowa said to his retreating back. "Let's get home," he said to Alex.  
  
~*~  
  
"Did you know she was going to be there today?" Trowa asked as soon as they were safe inside the trailer.  
  
"I didn't have any idea that she would be there until I saw her there," Alex told him truthfully.  
  
"You didn't? You're absolutely sure?" he demanded.  
  
"No, Trowa, I just saw her there and I decided to reunite you two. Did I do something wrong?" she asked, unsure of why he was acting so strange.  
  
"I'm just worried because she used to be a spy."  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" she asked.  
  
"She got my entire adopted family killed once. I'm just having a hard time trusting her. I mean, my heart is telling me to, but my brain is telling me to run as fast and as far as I can in the other direction," he admitted.  
  
"Gods, your smitten already?" Her voice held the flavor of laughter when she thought about her Uncle Trowa, brought to his knees by a delicate woman with one blow.  
  
"I'm not sure," he told her, burying his face in his hands. "I can't seem to make my brain and my heart sort things out. I just don't know what to do."  
  
"Well," Alex said as she got up from the table. "I only have one thing to tell you."  
  
"And what would that be?" he asked, looking up at her.  
  
"Act on your emotions. Sometimes you'll be right, and other times you'll be wrong. But isn't love worth the risk?" She smiled at him and turned towards the door.  
  
"You know, Heero said something like that to me once."  
  
Alex stopped dead in her tracks and willed her heart to stay out of the matter. "Really. That's interesting."  
  
"Where are you going?" he asked when she opened the door.  
  
"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in a while. Is Cathy taking care of Happy?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good." With that she walked out into the warm evening air and closed the door behind her, not even knowing that she was living her last few minutes of peace.  
  
~*~  
  
Alex had just exited the grocery store after buying a pop when she heard angry voices yelling somewhere nearby. Against her better judgement she poked her head around the corner to see what was happening and was just in time to see a man strike a woman and grab her purse.  
  
Without thinking Alex leaped out of the darkness where she'd been and rammed the guy into the wall with her shoulder. Then she hit him just right behind the neck, causing him to black out. Quickly Alex picked up the purse and hurried over to the woman.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked, worry flavoring her voice.  
  
The older woman touched her cheek gingerly but nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you for helping me," she told Alex, almost as if she wasn't used to getting help.  
  
"No problem. Do you know him?"  
  
"Not really. I guess he lives in my neighborhood."  
  
"Well that's not good at all. Are you going to press charges?"  
  
"No, I'm fine. No one would believe me anyway."  
  
"Why?" Alex asked, perplexed at the woman's attitude. She was sure that with her angelic face and her raven black hair that she could get anyone to do anything if she just asked.  
  
"Because. because my dad was one of the dealers busted in that narc case about three weeks ago," she admitted after an unsteady pause. "I think he was one of the buyers. They're all coming around the house now, thinking I might deal with them."  
  
"And you won't," Alex said, making sure she had the situation right.  
  
"No, I won't. I didn't approve of my father doing it either, but I didn't have any choice but to live with him. He said he didn't have enough money to send me to college, and I couldn't get a job because of who he was." tears started streaming down the woman's face. "I'm going to loose my house soon."  
  
Alex thought quickly to try and come up with something to help the woman. Her mind lit upon a number of possibilities, but all seemed worse than the last until she finally had a very bright idea.  
  
"Do you like traveling?"  
  
"I don't know," the woman sniffed. "I've never been off the colony."  
  
"That's okay. Can you take care of animals really well and work hard?"  
  
"I don't know about animals, but I'll take any job I can get."  
  
"Okay, I may know someone who could use you. I work at the circus and we're a little under staffed right now. I'm sure that the Manager would take you on in a heartbeat and then you'd be away from creeps like him." She jerked her head in the direction of the human garbage. "And, if you're looking for a boyfriend there are plenty of bachelors."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, really," Alex assured her. "I'm Alex by the way. What's your name?"  
  
"Teresa," the girl responded.  
  
"Okay, Teresa. How about I walk you home to make sure you don't get mugged and I'll give you the address where we are right now. You'll have to drop by soon, though. We're leaving the colony in about two days."  
  
"Okay, thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you," Teresa stammered.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I know how it is to be down on your luck."  
  
"Really? But you're so young!" Teresa exclaimed as they walked towards her house. Alex just laughed and shook her head. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd fit right in at the circus.  
  
~*~  
  
When Alex left the house it was past nine and she knew she had to hurry home or Trowa would start looking for her. Knowing this she broke into a jog and was so centered on getting back that she didn't even see the person in the shadows stick a foot out in front of her. She tripped over it and went sprawling, landing face first on the pavement.  
  
"Ouch! Shit that hurt! Watch it!" she yelled indignantly, dragging herself to her feet. She looked around and realized she'd taken the shortcut through the upper district of the colony and immediately regretted it. Nobody good hung out in these neighborhoods after dark.  
  
"Why don't you watch it yourself, bitch," someone snapped. Alex recognized the voice and went cold.  
  
"You don't belong here, trailer trash," someone else said and spat in Alex's face. Alex quickly wiped it away, knowing she could get a disease that way, and there was no telling what the girl might be carrying.  
  
"Yeah, and come to think of it, haven you been handing out with Jamal Swift lately? Why the hell is he hanging out with you? What do you have that we don't?" a third wined.  
  
"The better question is, what does she give that we don't?" the first said, hoping to provoke her into a fight.  
  
"I don't have time for this," Alex muttered angrily as she started towards the end of the street.  
  
"Oh, but we do, and what we say goes," the ringleader said. "We don't appreciate little wenches like you stealing our guys. There are few enough good looking ones as it is, and Jamal has money to boot! You'd better give him up if you know what's good for you."  
  
"Sorry," Alex said, "I don't happen to carry him around in my shirt pocket so you'll have to try back later."  
  
"You know what she meant!" the second girl snapped.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry but Jamal makes his own choices. If he doesn't like you, I'd look in the mirror to see how I could change. I'd say you should all start with a crash course in manners," Alex snapped, tiring quickly of their game. "Now if you excuse me, I'm expected at home."  
  
"At home? I've heard that you don't really have a home. Nobody wants someone like you," the third girl sneered."  
  
"Well, then you must have a short term memory. Wasn't it your friend who was just demanding I dump Jamal?"  
  
"Why you-," she screamed as she leaped at Alex. Her two friends joined her a split second later and Alex had no choice but to fight, though she knew she had to be careful how hard she hit them. They had money, and she didn't. People with money made the rules. People with money had power.  
  
I'm in trouble, was Alex's last coherent thought until the police arrived to break up the melee.  
  
~*~  
  
Trowa was pacing the kitchen when he looked at the clock. It was already past ten and there was still no sign of Alex. When the phone finally rang he picked it up quickly and pressed it to his ear.  
  
"Hello? Alex? Where are you?" he demanded.  
  
"I'm down at the police station," she said angrily.  
  
"WHAT?!?!" Trowa yelled, his body suddenly going as taunt as a wire from the strength of his anger. "What in God's name are you doing there?!"  
  
"I was taking this woman home and I cut across the upper section of town and I got jumped. I swear to god that I didn't start the fight," she was quick to assure him.  
  
"And what's going on?"  
  
"Well, since I didn't throw the first punch the police can't let the other girls press charges, but its going on my record until I'm eighteen. This is basically my first, last, and only warning. If it happens again I stand a good change of winding up in Juvie."  
  
"Damn," Trowa swore into the phone.  
  
"Sorry I couldn't call you sooner, but I've been having a nice little chat with an officer for the past half hour. They're releasing me so I'll see you when I get home."  
  
Trowa heard someone speaking to her in the background but ignored it. "No, I'll come and pick you up."  
  
"Good, because I've just been informed that I have to be released into my guardian's custody."  
  
"Oh," Trowa said, realizing that he wasn't _legally_ her guardian. "See you when I get there."  
  
"Okay, bye Trowa."  
  
"Bye," he said. After he hung up the phone he rubbed his eyes and suddenly realized just how much he wanted to sleep. "This is going to be a long night."  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience, Trowa," Alex apologized again.  
  
"For the last time, don't worry about it. You didn't start the fight you just finished it. All I'm saying is that you need to learn when to fight like you're in Queens and when not to. Look, I'm beat. Lets just go inside so I can get some sleep.  
  
"Sure thing," Alex said as she followed him inside. Sleep was the last thing on her mind and she knew it, but she also knew how worn out Trowa must be after having argued with the police chief for an hour. He wasn't her guardian on paper so they'd been, to say the least, _VERY_ reluctant to release her to him.  
  
"See you in the morning," he said as he crawled into his bed fully dressed and turned out the light.  
  
"Yeah, see you in the morning," Alex replied as she lay down and waited for sleep to claim her.  
  
~*~  
  
When morning arrived Alex got up, having slept only a few hours, and made breakfast. Trowa got up a while later, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and went out to help the others pack. Alex didn't get to do anything but feed the animals. She was banned from working and the Manager had sworn that if he saw her lifting so much as a pillow he'd throw her out of the circus.  
  
"Man, I've got nothing to do!" Alex said to the empty trailer. Quatre was over at Cathy's, it being her day off, and she wasn't about to disturb them. She had a feeling that their relationship was progressing swiftly.  
  
A sharp rap on the door made her get up off the couch and run to the door. When she opened it she was surprised to see Jamal standing there. "Jamal, what are you doing here? It's Monday, shouldn't you be at school? Or are you home schooled?"  
  
"I'm skipping school today," he growled. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Not with that attitude," Alex snapped back.  
  
Jamal made a visible bid for his temper and as soon as he had his voice under control he asked, "May I please come in?"  
  
"Sure." She moved out of the way to allow him to enter the trailer. Once he was inside she leaned against the door, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at him for the longest time before she asked, "Why are you here?"  
  
"It's my father," Jamal said, sinking down onto the couch. "I was talking to him this morning and he demanded that I leave you and start looking for someone with money to marry so he can expand the company. We got into a big fight over it and I waked out."  
  
"What's this really about?" Alex asked, knowing that couldn't be all.  
  
"I'm not going back," he told her.  
  
"Why not?" She asked, trying to get the whole story.  
  
"He. the things he said were way out of line. He had no right to call you the things he did! He wouldn't even meet you before he formed his opinions of you! I mean, he called you a hussy for crying out loud!"  
  
"Calm down, Jamal. Think about this logically. What are you going to do if you don't go back? Were are you going to stay?"  
  
"I'll join the circus," he told her. "I thought about it all the way here and I think I'd do fine. I'm really athletic so I can probably do some of the tumbling and a lot of the heavy lifting and stuff and-,"  
  
"No," Alex cut him off. "I can tell you right now that you're not cut out for the circus. It's a lifelong commitment. You can't just take it up and then leave when you get tired of it."  
  
"I know that! But if it's the only way I'll be close to you then it's worth any effort," he explained.  
  
"Then maybe you shouldn't get close to me. I'm not going to get in the way of your relationship with your father. I've seen too many families break up because of stupid stuff like this and I won't be the cause of it."  
  
"But Alex-,"  
  
"No. Just tell your father that you won't marry anyone until you're ready and to get off your case, then drop it. Just refuse to speak about it. Then you can avoid further arguments."  
  
"What about you?" he demanded. "What do you think?"  
  
"What I think doesn't matter," she replied.  
  
"What happened to you? Yesterday you were all fun and loving and today you're all cold and." he stopped himself before he could say anything he'd regret. Alex mentally commended him, but she knew what she had to do.  
  
"Maybe it's the fact that I don't appreciate the fact that you're flaunting our relationship in front of all those girls that are so in love with you. I don't appreciate them jumping me or getting taken in by the police because of it. If you hadn't teased them with it, I wouldn't have that on my record!"  
  
"So you got in one measly fight? So what?"  
  
"Jamal, I think you'd better leave. Don't come back unless you can behave like the gentleman I know you can be," Alex said coolly.  
  
"You're telling me to leave now? Maybe I was wrong about you," Jamal snapped as he stood up and strode towards her. "Tell me, did you ever love me or did you just want my money like all the rest of them?"  
  
"I do love you, Jamal, but right now I want you to leave because both our tempers are short and I'm tired of fighting right now."  
  
"Maybe he was right," Jamal said after she stepped out from in front of the door so he could open it.  
  
"Right about what?" Alex asked, curious in spite of herself.  
  
"I was crazy. I could have any girl I want, and I told him the only girl I wanted to marry was you. I was wrong. I'll see you around." With that he stepped out the door and strode away from the circus. Alex just stayed rooted to the floor for the longest time. Then a wave of nausea hit her and she was forced to spend the longest time in the bathroom.  
  
"Alex, are you okay?" Quatre asked when he got the chance to sneak into the trailer. He found her offering the contents of her stomach, or lack there of, to the porcelain gods. "I thought this stopped!" he yelled, rushing to put a damp cloth on the back of her neck.  
  
"It did for a while," she told him as she wiped her mouth on a towel.  
  
"The why is it back now?" Quatre asked desperately.  
  
"Jamal and I broke up."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that but what has it got to do with anything?"  
  
"He was what was sustaining me, Quatre. I didn't understand why those crazy doctors told me not to fall in love until now. Love transcends time. As long as I was accepted, death was held off longer, but it would still come. As long as I was loved, I would live. Time would have to accept me. Now I've driven him away."  
  
"How?!"  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. We had a fight and he's really hurt. But he's supposed to marry someone else! I couldn't lead him on like that!" she sobbed.  
  
Quatre was quick to offer her a shoulder when it became clear that her stomach had decided to settle down. "Who?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know. I think her name was, I mean is, Angel. Angel A Swift."  
  
"A?" Quatre asked.  
  
"I think I asked her once and she told me it stood for Alexandria."  
  
"Alexandria?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Yes," she said. Then she froze as a memory surfaced that she'd long since buried. "Oh my god. _Oh_my_god_!" she said, pulling away from her uncle. "I've got to go after him!"  
  
"What do you mean?" Quatre demanded, making her look at him.  
  
"I remember when he was over for Christmas he was always slipping up and calling. He was always calling her Alex."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dream Keeper: Sorry it took so long to get this up. We were issued a challenge fic too that we had to complete. It's a one shot it you feel like reading it. Matters of the Heart.  
  
Christa: *makes a face* I didn't like that fic one bit! Anywho, its like one in the morning so we're going to post this and get to sleep. Don't know when the next update is.  
  
Dream Keeper: Yeah, we're having to learn HTML, hold down 3 summer jobs, (baby sitting, house cleaing, farmers market), do chores, and write all that he same time. Life is HELL!!!!!!  
  
Christa: Anyway, don't forget to R&R which mean read AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you.  
  
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	15. Kira

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Or at least we hope she will. You never know WHO she's gunna kill!  
  
Dream Keeper: Oh, shut up! I'll be nice. for the most part. Okay folks! This is the last official chapter! If you don't like the ending and you beg hard enough I may just to an epilogue. *evil grin*  
  
Christa: Okay, right now you look freakier than Quatre when he's high on the Zero system! Lets just get this over with so she doesn't end up killing lovable little ME!!!  
  
Dream Keeper: *mutters to herself* Hey, that's not a half bad idea. *runs and borrows Duo's Deathscyth Hell Custom* Die muse!!!!!!!!!  
  
Christa: EEP!!!!!!!! *runs away very quickly*  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~  
  
"What?" Quatre said, at a loss for any other words.  
  
"He was always calling her Alex!" Alex exclaimed as she struggled to her feet and rushed into Trowa's room. She appeared a moment later looking even more distraught.  
  
"What's wrong now?" Quatre quarried, knowing the emotional hell she must be going through even though he could no longer feel her.  
  
"I don't have a dress."  
  
"What do you need a dress for?"  
  
"I'm going over to see if Jamal's gone home and I can't very well go looking like this? That'd only make his father think he was justified in what he said, and I want to make a good impression."  
  
"What did he say?" Quatre demanded, suddenly feeling overly protective of the young woman in front of him.  
  
"It doesn't matter Quatre. I need to find Jamal." she let the sentence trail off, knowing they were right back where it had started.  
  
Quatre decided to take pity on her. "Why don't you go over and ask Cathy if you can borrow one of hers? You two should be about the same size." He noted that an odd expression crossed Alex's face but he chose to ignore it until he had time to think.  
  
"Thanks Uncle Quatre," Alex said, giving him a quick hug before she flew out the door and over to Cathy's trailer.  
  
"Good luck," Quatre whispered, knowing she wouldn't hear him. "You're going to need it."  
  
~*~  
  
"Cathy!" Alex cried as she burst into her aunt's trailer. She was out of breath from running and the shrillness of her voice brought Catherine from her room as if the hounds of hell were chasing her.  
  
"Alex, what's wrong? Has something happened to Trowa or Happy?!" Cathy demanded, fearing the worst.  
  
"No. they're fine. I. need a. dress," she panted.  
  
"Is that all? What's go you all worked up? You half succeeded in giving me a heart attack." Cathy rolled her eyes, but when Alex didn't laugh she looked at the girl. Her skin was pale, much paler than usual, and her eyes had hardened back into the unnerving gaze she'd had before the circus. "Alex, what's wrong? You don't look so good. Do you want to lie down?"  
  
"No, I'm fine," Alex said off handedly. "About that dress?"  
  
"Alex, are you sure you're okay?" Cathy pried.  
  
"I'm dying Cathy, and will continue to do so until I find Jamal and get this straightened out. Now, can I borrow a dress or not?!" Alex demanded, not bothering to keep the anger from creeping into her voice.  
  
"Dying?!" Cathy demanded. Alex threw her hands up in defeat.  
  
"Look, I'm dying because I'm from the future and the past is trying to throw me out, but it has no where to put me, okay?"  
  
"I knew you were from the future but. why? Isn't there anything we can do?"  
  
"Yes, you can give me a damned dress so I can go find Jamal," Alex said rudely, getting fed up with explanations. Cathy nodded dumbly and beckoned Alex to follow her into the bedroom. There she was allowed to pick out a dress that was her size and a decent color to go with her skin tones.  
  
~*~  
  
When Alex came barging back into the trailer Quatre was so shocked that he actually dropped his book. She looked so totally grown up that it was scary. There was so much conviction in her eyes that they practically blazed. This was a side of her that he'd never seen before.  
  
"What'd you come back for?" he asked, at a loss for anything else to say.  
  
"I need to get my coat," she said.  
  
"What? Its not even hot out-," he started to say but she held up her hand and cut him off.  
  
"Don't ask right now," she said as she walked out the door without so much as a goodbye. Quatre wasn't really hurt. He knew that she was, for once, acting exactly like Heero had and didn't care one bit.  
  
"I just hope she works this out."  
  
~*~  
  
Alex walked the whole way to Jamal's mansion. She didn't want to arrive all sweaty and make a bad impression, but it was hard to oppress the urge to run. It unnerved her to be in the upper district again, but no one gave her a passing glance as she walked by. Evidently she'd done a good job of choosing her outfit because her leather jacket didn't look tacky, and many other people were wearing jackets for a fashion statement also.  
  
Finally she arrived at the large iron gate surrounding the mansion. It was bigger than she remembered, but she didn't let it intimidate her. She had a legitimate reason to be there, so why should she worry?  
  
Yes, why worry? she thought sarcastically as she pushed the button to speak to someone inside. "Hello?" she called.  
  
"Hello. What do you need miss?" a kind voice asked her.  
  
"I was wondering, is Jamal home?" God, I sound like an _idiot!_ she thought. I sound like a little kid!  
  
"Sir? All right sir." the woman said to someone in the background.  
  
"Who are you?" a gruff voice demanded.  
  
"A-Alex," she stammered, for some perverse reason afraid of the man.  
  
"So you're the no good hussy that my son's been running around with!" the man yelled. "I ought to have you arrested just for showing your face around here! All of your lot should be banned from the colonies."  
  
"Technically, sir, you can't have me arrested because I have done nothing against the law. If you don't like circus performers, I'm sorry. We can't help the fact that not everyone agrees with what we do, even though it is quite innocent-,"  
  
"Innocent you say?" Mr. Swift yelled. "You call those costumes you wear innocent? You call the stuff you do innocent? Ha!"  
  
"Sir, if you could just tell me if Jamal is home?" Alex asked, her anger barely concealed.  
  
"No, he's not. He went to live with you! My son, a circus performer! Ha! Its ridiculous!" He went on for some time about exactly how he was going to punish his son when he returned home, his tail tucked between his legs. Finally Alex got tired of hearing it and pushed the button one last time.  
  
"If he does come home, please let him know that I'd like him to come over tonight so we can talk," she snapped before she stalked off down the street. When she had finally tired herself out enough to think about things calmly it was almost five o'clock.  
  
Good thing I actually started back towards the circus by accident, she thought as she continued towards her destination. I've got to remember not to go on autopilot like that. It could get me seriously hurt in the upper district.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey, where have you been?" Trowa asked when she walked in the front door. He did a double take when he saw exactly what she was wearing.  
  
"Out," she said, refusing to say more. Her temper was frayed and her ego was battered and she knew it. She didn't want to fight with anyone else.  
  
"Okay, sorry I asked," Trowa said, not really one bit surprised. Quatre had already told him what had transpired between Alex and Jamal and what to expect. "Hungry?" he asked instead.  
  
"Starved," she said as she hung her coat up on the back of the bedroom door. "What's for dinner?"  
  
"Soup," he said, with just a hint of laughter in his voice.  
  
"Thank god!" Alex said as she plopped down at the table.  
  
"You're serious?" Trowa asked, surprised that she wasn't complaining like usual. "Are my ears deceiving me or did I just hear you actually say something good about Cathy's soup?"  
  
Alex stared him straight in the eye and gave him Heero's patented Death Glare. "Trowa, I have had an overall rotten day. I am hot, I am sweaty, I'm angry, tired, and I am _in_a_dress_. Give me the soup unless you want to be hurt."  
  
Trowa laughed, knowing she was doing her best to joke, and handed her a bowl of soup which she promptly began to demolish. "You know, you should wear a dress more often," he said after a moment of looking at her.  
  
Alex nearly choked. "What?!"  
  
"You look rather nice in a dress. You should do it more often."  
  
"Do you know how hard it is to move in these things?" she demanded. "You can't even sit comfortably in them. I'd love to see you spend five minutes in one and then tell me how much you like them!"  
  
"No, thank you. I think I'll pass on that gracious offer. I-," he cut off whatever he was saying when someone knocked on the door. Frowning slightly he got up and opened it. "Oh, shit, I totally forgot," Trowa said as he stepped back to permit Heero and his two daughters. Alex quickly turned her back on him and continued eating.  
  
"Sorry, I forgot to call before we left. Did you have anything else planned?" Heero asked, giving Trowa ample time to escape babysitting.  
  
"No, no. It's okay. I'd just forgotten that you were going out _tonight_. Where's Relena?"  
  
"She's going to meet me at the restaurant. She had some paperwork to finish up." Heero rolled his eyes as she stepped into the house and sat down on the couch. Trowa did the same after telling the girls where the toys were kept.  
  
"Can I take your jacket?" a timid voice asked from beside them.  
  
"Thanks," Heero said without really looking at the girl as he handed her his coat. "Sorry, I didn't know you had Cathy over. Are you sure you don't need me to find someone else?"  
  
"Yes, I'm perfectly sure. You and Relena go on your date and have a good time. It's not often you two get to do that anymore," Trowa assured him.  
  
"And I suppose that's why you're still a bachelor?" Heero said skeptically.  
  
Trowa sighed and tried to look remorseful. "Yes. I was smart enough not to get married because I love going out at night and partying." He almost succeeded in keeping his face straight, but Heero snorted and caused him to laugh.  
  
"What's the occasion?" Alex asked as she came back into the room.  
  
"It's our anniversary," Heero said, again not looking at her.  
  
"Well, happy anniversary," she said. She noticed Trowa give her a warning look and flick his glance towards the door, but she chose to ignore it.  
  
"Thanks Cathy."  
  
"My name isn't Cathy."  
  
"Gods, I'm sorry. You looked so much like Cathy. I didn't know Trowa had a girlfriend." Heero said as he looked at her. "ALEX?!"  
  
"Yes, Heero?" she asked.  
  
"She's staying here with you?" He demanded of Trowa.  
  
"Yes. She has been for quite a while," he admitted.  
  
"I'm calling Relena. She'll understand us staying home-," Heero said angrily as he stood up and strode towards the phone.  
  
"What are you worried about, Heero?" Alex asked.  
  
"I can't imagine," he spat. Then he turned to Trowa. "I can't believe you'd harbor this murderer under your own roof! Don't you remember what she' done?"  
  
"Heero, did Kira say anything to Zechs before you two left?" she asked suddenly.  
  
"Not that I know of, why?" he demanded suspiciously.  
  
"Go out on your date. Kira and Daja will be fine here for a few hours. You're just a phone call away. You can call every five minutes if you have to. And Trowa will be here. I know you don't trust me, and you have no reason to, but trust him at least," she told him calmly. "If you need any further proof that they will be okay, then remember that I couldn't hurt her if my life depended on it."  
  
"Heero, you'd better go soon if you're going," Trowa told him, motioning to the clock on the wall. Heero wavered indecisively for a long time before he hung his head in defeat.  
  
"I'll go, as long as you swear on your life that you'll keep an eye on them."  
  
"I will," Trowa promised.  
  
"And if she does anything funny, you'll kill her?" he pressed.  
  
"What?!" Trowa shouted.  
  
"Trowa-"  
  
"Heero, I know there are many rifts that lie between us, especially Quatre's death, but I'd like you to know that I'm sorry. It doesn't help any, especially not with the pain, but know that I am. Here's your one and only shot to say anything and everything you've ever wanted to say to me. I won't correct you and I won't interrupt you. I won't even speak."  
  
"Alex!"  
  
"No, let him Trowa. I can see how much he wants to do it," Alex assured him. Trowa immediately could tell that she'd put her mask back on, and all her walls were going back up.  
  
"Heero don't-" Trowa started to say, but Heero ignored him completely. He plowed ahead and said the many things he'd wanted to say for weeks. All of the hatred that had festered finally came tumbling out and as it did, Trowa could see more and more of the light go out of Alex's eyes.  
  
"You little bitch! I swear on all that is holy that one day I am going to make you suffer just as much as you've made every one of us suffer!" Heero finished.  
  
A moment of empty, tense silence followed his vow and all three of them jumped when the phone rang. Little Kira picked it up from the table she was playing by.  
  
"Hello? Uwncle Zechs? Yeah, daddy's hewe. Is mommy okay? I'm afwaid fowr hewr. Is she going to-,"  
  
"Kira put the phone down!" Alex screamed, running across the room to snatch it from her. She tossed it to a very stunned Heero. Kira, who didn't understand what was wrong, started to cry.  
  
"Shh. Kira, I'm sorry," Alex soothed her. "I didn't mean to yell. You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay." When she wouldn't respond to Alex, Trowa went over and picked her up. Just being in his arms seemed to calm her down and in very little time her sobs subsided to hiccups, then to an occasional sniffle. When Heero got off the phone three minutes later she was playing with her sister again.  
  
"What was that about?" Heero demanded.  
  
"I'd rather not explain," Alex said unsteadily. "Lets just say that it's on old demon of mine that I wanted to kill. Just go Heero."  
  
"If anything happens to her, I'll kill you," He said steadily.  
  
"I wouldn't expect any less from you. I'll get your coat."  
  
As Alex retrieved the troublesome garment Heero leaned forward and whispered to Trowa, "You'd better keep an eye on her if you know what's good for you."  
  
"I will, Heero." he assured him.  
  
"Here you go," Alex said when she returned. Heero reached out and tried to grab the coat from her, but she caught his hand and looked straight into his eyes. "Remember _everything_ I ever told you I hated about you Heero. Remember _everything_. If she dies tonight, I will kill you."  
  
"What?" he exclaimed as fear coarse through him.  
  
"I'm probably just being paranoid, but there's no sense in taking a chance. I can't help you tonight," she admitted.  
  
Heero left immediately to be with his wife. He didn't give any more threats. He just grabbed his coat and walked out of the trailer. When he threw the car in reverse gravel flew and they knew he was scared.  
  
"What did you stop Kira from asking?" Trowa quarried a few minutes after Heero left.  
  
"I didn't want her to ask if Relena was going to die."  
  
"What do you mean?" he demanded, alarmed.  
  
"Quatre knows. Once, right before Relena died, Kira asked Zechs a question. He never forgave her for that question. I didn't want to see her hurt."  
  
"But why would she ask that?"  
  
"I don't know, but I pray Heero remembers."  
  
"Alex, are you-"  
  
"Are you babysitting anyone else tonight?" Alex cut him off.  
  
"Yes, Duo's supposed to bring Matty and Danny over, but-"  
  
"Then I'll make myself scarce until they leave," she said and before he could gainsay her she'd locked herself in the bedroom. He stepped up to the door and listened for a moment before he heard her muffled sobs. His heart nearly broke with the agony of the situation, but he knew that he was powerless to do anything about it. It drove him half-mad.  
  
"I just hope Quatre can't feel her," he muttered to himself.  
  
~*~  
  
An hour later Duo and Hilde had come and gone, leaving their twins with him. Alex came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, looking almost exactly like she had when she'd gone in. Trowa couldn't help but wonder if she'd used makeup to patch herself up.  
  
"So, what's going on?" she asked cheerily.  
  
"Nothing. They're just playing in there," he told her, indicating the children.  
  
"Oh." Another tap on the door made them look at each other curiously.  
  
"Trowa?" a timid voice called out. Immediately Trowa dashed across the room and opened the door.  
  
"Midii, come in!" he said gallantly, though anyone who didn't know him well would have thought him speaking normally.  
  
"Thank you," she said as she stepped inside. It had just started to snow and the small white flakes clung to her hair, giving her an otherworldly quality.  
  
"Uncle Trowa, is she an angle?" Danny asked, coming up to clutch his hand.  
  
Midii laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'm sorry little one. I can't claim that title." She turned back to Trowa then and asked, "So I guess you're busy tonight?"  
  
Trowa looked helplessly at the kids and nodded slowly, unhappily. "Sorry, had I known you were coming over."  
  
"Oh, Trowa, you're hopeless. I'll watch them. You two go do whatever you want," Alex said, smiling at them. Trowa couldn't help but note that the smile didn't reach her eyes. Once glance at Midii told him that she did too. "Just be sure to be back before Heero gets back."  
  
"Are you sure, Alex?" he pressed.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. You two go have fun. We'll be fine," Alex assured him as she brought him his coat.  
  
"Where to?" Midii asked.  
  
"I know this great little coffee shop just a few blocks from here, if you'd like?" Trowa offered.  
  
"Sure. It sounds great."  
  
"Hey, Alex, don't forget about the potluck tonight. When the kids get hungry, just take them there," Trowa called over his shoulder before he shut the door. Alex vaguely noted that they opted to walk instead of drive.  
  
~*~  
  
At eight o'clock the kids were just starting to get hungry. Alex knew by now that half the circus would be drunk, and not looking where they were going so she didn't want to chance the potluck. "Well, what am I going to feed them?" she wondered aloud.  
  
"Alex, can you play this?" Daja asked, holding up Trowa's prized flute.  
  
"Oh no. That's Trowa's and I don't dare touch it," Alex said hastily as she took the instrument away from her and put the strap over her shoulder.  
  
"Alex, I want mac and cheese," Danny whined. (I don't own that either!)  
  
"Um. okay," Alex said as she went to the cabinet and looked inside to see if they had any. Trowa's flute fell forward and hit her in the side as she bent over, reminding her to put it away.  
  
"Daja, could you boil some water?" Alex asked as she stood up, triumphant in her search.  
  
"Sure!" she said, happy to have something important to do.  
  
"Alex, can I watch TV?" Matty asked, putting on her puppy dog eyes.  
  
"No, scamp. I heard your father say you were grounded." Matty pouted, but when it became apparent that she wasn't going to her way, she went back to play with her "cousins."  
  
"The water's boiling," Daja called, her voice filled with delight.  
  
"Thank you, Daja! You've been such a help!" Alex praised her. She was about to say something more but yet another person knocked at the door. "Kira, get that," she said as she poured the noodles in. She was just walking towards the door when Kira opened it-  
  
And a gun was leveled at the little girl's head.  
  
***  
  
When Heero reached the restaurant he had to restrain himself from jumping out of the car, running inside, and demanding to know where his wife was. He knew it was foolish, but he had to force himself to get out of the car and walk calmly up to the door.  
  
"Do you need a table or are you meeting someone, sir?" the man behind the counter asked.  
  
"Relena Yuy?" he quarried.  
  
"Ah, yes. She's right this way, sir."  
  
Heero squashed the nagging voice inside him that told him to run, but he couldn't. All he knew was that something didn't feel right. He passed it off as Alex trying to scare him, but some part of his mind didn't believe that.  
  
"Heero," Relena greeted him, smiling.  
  
"Relena, happy anniversary," he said to her as he bent down and kissed her, some of his apprehension melting away.  
  
"Happy anniversary, Heero," she whispered against his lips. Suddenly both became aware again that they were in public and immediately put on their political masks.  
  
"May I take your coat from you sir?" a timid voice asked from behind them. Heero turned around, making sure not to look nervous, to see who it was. He half expected Alex to be standing there, but instead it was a beautiful, if young, woman with long, blond hair and blue eyes.  
  
She seemed to shrink under his gaze, though he couldn't imagine for the life of him why. He wasn't intentionally looking cold, but she acted that way. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked, trying to cover up her discomfort.  
  
"May I take your coat, sir?" she repeated. Something in the way she said it tipped Heero off. Something inside him snapped back into the old soldier and he instantly remembered that coats were taken at the door. He also remembered that no one else had given theirs up. In fact, when he looked swiftly around, people had theirs hanging off the backs of their chairs.  
  
"No, thank you," he said, sitting down before she could protest. She merely nodded, tight lipped, and went on her way.  
  
"What was that about?" Relena asked, miffed at her husbands attitude.  
  
"Nothing," Heero said, hoping he was correct.  
  
"Okay," she said dubiously, a hint of unease showing in her eyes. "Shall we order?"  
  
~*~  
  
Their meal was almost over when disaster struck. They'd just started on desert when a brick came flying through the window of the restaurant. It landed right in the middle of their table and Heero knew at once that it was a bomb. "Everybody DOWN!" he shouted as he grabbed Relena and shoved her behind the table as he overturned it. He threw the bomb into an unoccupied corner of the restaurant right as it exploded.  
  
A piece of the shrapnel flew through the air and buried itself in his leg. Heero cursed fluently in any and every language he'd ever learned as he fell to his knees, the pain wracking him in waves. Relena was immediately by his side, binding the wound closed with a scrap of her dress.  
  
"Are you making a habit of this dear?" she asked shakily as she helped _him_ to his feet.  
  
"Not by choice," he growled through clenched teeth. "Shit, this hurts."  
  
"I'm sure it does, but we need to get out of here," Relena said.  
  
"You're not going anywhere!" a harsh voice shouted from the second floor. A masked figure stood there but Heero could swear that he knew the voice from somewhere. if only he could remember where.  
  
One of the people who'd been at the table nearby tried to run but the gunman turned the gun on her and shot her ruthlessly. The woman went down like a ton of bricks, blood spattering everyone liberally. She fell directly at Heero's feet and continued to bleed. The gunman dispatched two others in the time it took to draw a breath.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Heero demanded, desperate to buy time.  
  
"Because, I'm the bad guy," he said loftily as he raised his gun.  
  
In a split second Heero pushed Relena behind him. and in that split second a memory surfaced.  
  
"You're the cause of her death! You killed her! You're the reason she's dead! You thought you would protect her by pushing her behind you! You stupid fool! You don't even know anymore how to tell just who they shoot at! You pushed her behind you and she took the bullet that was meant for you! It should have been you that died!" Alex had screamed at him.  
  
Quick as lightning Heero shoved Relena to the floor-  
  
Right as someone squeezed the trigger of a gun behind him. Heero spared one minute to wonder if Relena was going to be all right before the bullet thudded into his back.  
  
"Heero!" Relena screamed as he crumbled to the floor. People all around her, who'd been rooted to the spot because of the gunmen, screamed and fled, nearly trampling her husband.  
  
"Heero!" Relena cried again as she rolled him over onto his back. "Heero! Wake up Heero! Come on! Open your eyes! Open your eyes Heero!" she screamed as she shook him.  
  
Her bodyguards were surrounding them. She'd told them to wait outside so she and her husband could have some privacy, but now she regretted it. "God damn you Heero! Open your eyes! You can't do this to me!" Blood covered the ground but Relena didn't know whose it was. It covered Heero too. That's what worried her. Was it his, or the woman's?  
  
A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality and she realized she was still kneeling next to her husband. "Vice foreign minister, maybe we should go," one of her bodyguards said, moving to help her up, but Relena jerked away from him.  
  
"Come on Heero! You've always been the strong one! Don't leave me! I can't be strong!" she yelled, trying one last time to get a response from him. She closed her eyes and willed herself under control.  
  
A gentle hand touched her again, this time brushing against her cheek to wipe away her tears. Her eyes flew open to stare straight into Heero's. "This fucking hurts," he half laughed, half moaned as he drug himself into a sitting position.  
  
"Heero, you shouldn't move-," Relena started to tell him but he hushed her with a look.  
  
"I'm fine, or mostly," he assured her. "Only my leg."  
  
"But she shot you!" Relena insisted, unable to believe that Heero had gotten away from the gun without a scratch. The woman in question, the waitress from earlier, glared at her defiantly as one of the bodyguards restrained her.  
  
Heero said nothing, just pulled off the coat, and turned it around. Imbedded in the back was the bullet but when he removed it he found a thin layer of something akin to what was inside bullet proof vests.  
  
"Alex," he said, realizing just how much he owed her tonight.  
  
"What about her?!" Relena demanded.  
  
"Alex saved our lives," he admitted, still staring transfixed at the leather jacket.  
  
"Heero," his wife said sharply, grabbing his face in her hands and making him look at her. "What is going on?"  
  
He didn't answer her as he pulled away and stood up. "I want you to get her out of here. Take her to the safe-house," he told the bodyguards in a harsh tone that made them afraid to disobey. They immediately hauled a loudly protesting Relena away just as the paramedics rushed in. Heero waved them off, telling them to tend to the injured and slipped out into the night.  
  
"Alex, if anything has happened to them I'll kill you," Heero whispered to the night as he drove at breakneck speed back towards the circus.  
  
~*~  
  
When Relena was finally dumped unceremoniously at Dorothy's house she was, to say the least, very displeased. Dorothy came rushing out to meet her, asking franticly is she was all right, but Relena ignored her.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!" Relena demanded sternly. One look in her eyes told Dorothy that she wasn't going to be deterred.  
  
"I'm not sure myself, Mrs. Relena," Dorothy admitted grudgingly, beckoning her inside. "I was just let in on this myself. It seems that you have someone besides Heero protecting you from the shadows now. How is it you always manage to snag people like that?"  
  
"Dorothy," Relena said warningly.  
  
"Play a game of chess with me, Mrs. Relena," Dorothy said. Relena looked at her in surprise as she was led into the parlor, but Dorothy seemed entirely serious.  
  
"You can't be serious! Dorothy, we don't have time for stupid games!" Relena exploded.  
  
"Do you want your information or not?" Dorothy said rudely, letting Relena know just what she thought of her at the moment. Defeated, Relena sat down in an overstuffed chair in front of a chessboard. One of Dorothy's servants lit a fire in the nearby hearth before retreating from the room. The bodyguards stationed themselves around the room, trying to give them space.  
  
"Now, what do you know?" Relena asked hotly.  
  
Little bit by bit Dorothy told her all she knew. Somehow Trowa had become aware of a small organization that was gathering the remnant soldiers of all the wars, and banding them together to form a new army. An army to wipe out all political leaders so they could seize control of the ESUN.  
  
"What?!" Relena yelped, letting go of her queen before she was sure of the move. Dorothy tsk'd as she took it with a lowly pawn.  
  
"That's checkmate Mrs. Relena. You should pay more attention if you're going to keep your position as Vice foreign minister. I find that people play politics like they play chess. If this is any indication of how reckless you are, you'd better start picking out your coffin."  
  
"Dorothy!" Relena cried, aghast.  
  
"If your husband can't protect you, you're as good as dead if these guys get their way. There's no guarantee that any of the boys can stop them this time." Dorothy told her as straightforward as she could. Relena sat back in her chair and pondered all that her friend had said. "Oh, and I've got some information for you," she said suddenly, as if just remembering it, though Relena knew she hadn't forgotten it at all.  
  
"Thank you," she said graciously, accepting a small portfolio filled with papers. She flipped through it quickly once, then again as a frown creased her brow. Finally she looked up into Dorothy's eyes. "I don't understand."  
  
"Its mandatory for all people who've died a violent death to undergo an autopsy," Dorothy explained. "It's because of the rash of faked deaths the earth had in A.C. 125. Anyway, read the last paragraph and you will understand."  
  
"Cause of death was determined to be a blow to the head by a piece of shrapnel," Relena read aloud, her voice choking with emotion. "Dorothy-"  
  
"Keep reading," she urged.  
  
"Victim was found to be in perfect health, age thirty, race Irish." she stopped and glanced up sharply. "But this isn't Quatre!"  
  
"No," Dorothy agreed, smiling slightly.  
  
"Then that means. Quatre's alive?"  
  
***  
  
Alex saw the gun and an immense anger roared to life within her. Without pausing to think she let the flute slide down her arm and caught the carrying strap in her hand. Then she swung it forward with all of her strength behind it and caught the man's wrist from underneath. He let out a cry of pain as his wrist broke and dropped the gun. Alex scrambled for it but he was faster.  
  
"RUN!" Alex screamed at the four children as they stood rooted to the floor. "GET OUT OF HERE!" she bellowed as another man came through the door. In a split second the children were nearly forgotten and Alex lowered herself into a defensive crouch. He didn't even have time to register her before she launched herself at him.  
  
She fought like she was back in Queens. It didn't matter that there was no honor in the way she fought. There was no honor in the fight. All she cared about was winning for the sake of her cousins. She bit, scratched, kicked, punched, and broke bones for all she was worth as the occasional shot was let off. It didn't matter that there were five of them now within the small trailer. All that mattered was survival.  
  
And it seems like that's more and more likely, she thought as she broke one's nose. They seem to be on orders not to kill us. That makes the likely hood of us getting away better. But where are the others? Why haven't they come to help? I know they can hear us, she thought desperately as a punch connected with her ribs. She swung around with the flute and caught the man upside the head. The flute connected with a sickening crack and broke in half. but so did his neck. He fell to the floor like a ton of bricks.  
  
Alex looked at the case and realized it was useless as a weapon now. Without hesitating she threw it aside and muttered, "Trowa is going to kill me."  
  
A gunshot was fired in the air, narrowly missing Alex's head and she realized just how dangerous the situation was. What if they had secondary orders to kill everyone if they found their quarries too much trouble to obtain?  
  
She didn't have long to think because the woman who'd fired the shot fired another one directly at Alex. It hit her at almost point blank range and Alex crumbled. "Damn you!" she screamed from the floor as she clutched at her right leg. She tried to stand but another bullet caught her in her other leg, then one in the left arm. Alex screamed with the pain and just as it became unbearable someone hit her on the back of the head with a gun and her world went black.  
  
***  
  
Heero pulled into the circus and screeched to a halt, jumping out of the car the second it stopped. He made straight for Trowa's trailer but stopped when it came into view. The entire circus was completely silent except for the occasional snore. Everyone was passed out exactly where they'd been when the potluck started. Drugged.  
  
The door of the trailer stood wide open, allowing light to flood the ground before it. Blood was spattered on the walls and floor inside and a body or two littered the ground. Heero couldn't get his brain to work properly. For the first time in his life he was so terrified that he couldn't move. Terrified of what he'd find.  
  
A lone shadow moved to block the doorway before it stumbled out of the trailer and straight towards him. He reached for the gun in his coat pocket before he remembered he didn't have it. This wasn't his coat.  
  
"Heero!" a painfully familiar voice called to him, but Heero was certain he'd gone crazy. There was no way.  
  
"Heero!" Quatre yelled again, hysterically, as he grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him. "They took them Heero! They took them! I don't know where they went!"  
  
"You're alive?" Heero said, then shook his head. "Explanations later. Who took them? Where the hell did they go? And what happened to Trowa?"  
  
"Heero," a cheerful voice called out from behind him. "What are you- Oh, god," Trowa breathed as he dropped Midii's hand and dashed towards them. "What happened?!"  
  
Heero didn't pause to think as he grabbed the front of Trowa's shirt in his hands and pushed him back against a nearby tree. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" he demanded, not two inches from his face. "Where were you?!"  
  
"I was just down the street," Trowa said brokenly. "I swear to go I wasn't gone more than an hour."  
  
"An hour and forty five minutes," Midii corrected.  
  
"What's going on out here?" someone asked as he came strolling towards them. "Um, sir, I don't know who you are but I'd leave Trowa alone. He can be pretty vicious." he said nervously.  
  
"Stay out of this kid!" Heero spat.  
  
"Is Alex inside?" he asked.  
  
"Who god damned cares where Alex is?!" Heero snarled, looking for anyone to vent his anger on. "I want to know WHO IN GODS NAME HAS MY DAUGHTER!"  
  
"Alex isn't here?" Jamal demanded.  
  
"No, she was kidnapped," Trowa said. He didn't resist when Heero drew back and punched him full in the face time and time again before Quatre, Midii, and Jamal were able to pull him away.  
  
"What do you mean kidnapped?!" Jamal demanded, more urgently this time.  
  
"Someone came here and took her," Quatre said. Jamal's eyes widened when he saw the "ghost" but he said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "They took Alex, Duo's children, and Heero's girls. We don't know where they went."  
  
"And you are just standing here fighting about who's to blame?" Jamal spat. "You're all idiots. If you're so worried about it you'd better get your asses in gear and start looking for some clue as to where they've taken them!" His voice rose to a shout, brining all three of them out of their stupor's. "You're acting as if all three of you are helpless! Two of you are the biggest political powers in the ESUN and I can vouch for Trowa's ability to throw a knife," he continued until Quatre held up a hand to silence him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jamal. We're not used to things like this happening anymore. We'll find them," he assured the young man, almost as much as he tried to assure himself.  
  
~*~  
  
As they picked through the scene inside the trailer all felt themselves becoming sick. It was evident that a rough fight had ensued, and that the children had tried to flee through the bedroom window and were caught. Bullets were lodged in the floor and walls, making it evident that the people may have had secondary orders.  
  
"Well, we can definitely say that Alex is responsible for at least three of these," Trowa said as he crouched down over a broken body. "I don't know anyone else who could have killed them like this."  
  
"What was she using?" Heero asked.  
  
"This," Trowa said, holding up his broken flute case. He didn't even bother to look inside. He already knew the instrument was beyond repair.  
  
"She did all this with _that_?" Heero demanded.  
  
"She lived in Queens," Trowa replied simply.  
  
"Trowa, come look at this," Quatre called from within the bedroom. Trowa immediately hurried there and found Jamal becoming sick.  
  
"What-" he started to ask before he almost stumbled over a body. It was lying off to one side of the door with a bullet wound in its head. Her eyes were still staring straight ahead, her face a mask of shock.  
  
"One of them must have found my gun," Trowa breathed, looking towards the dresser where the top drawer was open.  
  
"There's another one outside," Heero stated. He walked over to the leather coat lying on the floor and felt in the pocket. "Mine's gone too."  
  
"Trowa! What's going on here?!" Duo bellowed as he came dashing in, Hilde following closely. Trowa couldn't meet his eyes as he surveyed the carnage around them.  
  
"How?"  
  
"I don't know. I wasn't here," he said flatly.  
  
"What do you mean you weren't here?!" Hilde screamed. "Just who was watching my babies?!"  
  
"Alex," Quatre said, coming to stand in the open.  
  
"Quatre?!" Duo yelped. "How?"  
  
"We'll save the explanations for later. What we need to do right now is find out where they were taken," he told him, his voice sounding much calmer than her felt. Duo nodded dumbly and looked around the room.  
  
"Well, where do we start?"  
  
"This one has a call phone on him," Midii said, as she dug around in the corps' pocket. When she stood she handed it to Heero. "I'd better go," she said uncertainly.  
  
"No, Midii, don't go."  
  
"Trowa," Heero spat. "This isn't the time for-"  
  
"Midii used to be a spy, and an excellent one. She may be the one who figures out this blood covered riddle," Trowa shot back tartly, successfully shutting Heero up. Another car pulled in next to the trailer, which was already crowded, and everyone spun to see who it was.  
  
"What is going on? Are they missing too?" Wufei asked brokenly as he stood in the doorway. No one said anything. They didn't have to. The answer was clear from the look on their faces.  
  
Heero turned to Duo and said, "Call Zechs."  
  
***  
  
Alex woke slowly, finding that her whole body hurt, and wondered what exactly she had done to it. Then she realized that she was sitting up, tied to a chair; not at the circus. Her head came up and her eyes snapped open but she immediately regretted the decision because the pain in her head increased ten fold and the light only made it worse. Quickly she remedied the situation.  
  
"Ah, so the little dove finally awakens," a harsh voice said. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.  
  
"Brad Rajda," she stated flatly.  
  
"Ah, I'm honored that you know my name, sweetling," he said as he took her chin in his grasp and roughly made her look at him. "You've caused me nothing but trouble."  
  
Alex didn't hesitate to spit in his face. She was rewarded for her efforts with a backhanded blow to her face. His knuckles caught her right across the cheekbone and she could have sworn in that moment that her head was going to explode.  
  
"Don't you _ever_ do _anything_ like that again, do you hear me?" he yelled.  
  
"I'll do whatever I want," she told him firmly. "I've already told them about you. It won't be long until they come barging in here and kill you." She knew it was a bluff, but it was all she had. "And then Heero can tell them that it was you who tried to kill them tonight."  
  
"On the contrary my dear," someone said mockingly. "I don't believe that is possible. You see, I have a very strong alibi as to where I was tonight. They can't lay a finger on me." The cold chill of fear crept up her spine and Alex knew that it had to show on her face because Brad smiled.  
  
"I forgot that there were two of you," she said, glancing towards the older Brad.  
  
"Oh, yes. My younger self needed some guidance before he could set about taking over the E-sun, so I felt obligated to give it to him. It's a good thing I did too or else he wouldn't have made it this far. I knew those crazy koots would send someone to undo what we did, but I never expected them to send a woman. Don't they know how stupid that is?"  
  
"Yes," the younger one agreed. "They're nothing but an emotional wreck. All they do is weep and cry and they're too bound up in their own wants to let anybody die. Oh, don't look so surprised," he told her. "I've known who you are since that last rescue you pulled."  
  
"We have been wondering. Why didn't you let Heero die? You know he's the one we want. The others are just bonuses in our game."  
  
"For now," Alex spat. "The second the strongest is out of the way you'll start picking off the so called weaker prey. Don't you know how to fight like men?"  
  
The older Brad tsk'd at her and shook his head. "You see there? That only proves what we were saying. Women are nothing but an emotional wreck. They're always jumping to conclusions even when they should keep their mouth shut."  
  
"And the way you're talking only proves that you're total morons who have too much time on their hands and nothing better to do than hear themselves speak!" Alex shot back tartly. She was rewarded with another blow to her face. Both men laughed as she hung her head and whimpered involuntarily.  
  
"Why don't we let the boys have some fun with her before we start?" the younger Brad suggested, an evil glint in his eye.  
  
"Oh, I think we should," the elder agreed readily. "We just have to make sure they don't damage her _too_ much."  
  
"I don't think they're that stupid. They know how much we need her." the former said as they walked out the door together. The rest of his words were lost as the door banged shut behind him but Alex hurt too much to worry about words. Instead she forced herself to look around her room.  
  
It was unremarkable. She could have been any number of places. It was a white room, like a hospital room, without any identifying traits. The only thing that made it different was there were no windows and the door was made out of very thick steel. Alex didn't get concentrate long because five men came in then and she was sure that she was going to die.  
  
***  
  
"Quatre's really alive?" Relena asked again, allowing a little hope to creep into her eyes.  
  
"Yes, Relena, Quatre is alive. I don't know where, or why, he's been hiding but he has. This much is for certain though. When this leaks out the press are going to have a field day and he won't be able to hide anymore."  
  
"I know that," Relena said as she studied the paper. "But why wold he fake his own death?"  
  
"Most likely someone was trying to kill him and whoever was helping him thought it would be better if everyone thought he _was_ dead."  
  
"Alex," Relena breathed as she remembered exactly what had happened that night at the mansion. "Oh, god."  
  
"So you see your mistake?" Dorothy inquired. "You should never have sent her away."  
  
"How do you know about her?"  
  
"Heero has told me a great deal of things about her, and none of them have been good. But if you look at the things she's done in a new light like this you might be able to understand some of what she was trying to do."  
  
"And we sent her away."  
  
"Yes, you did. I-" Dorothy started to say something more but in that same instant Heero came barging through the doors into the house.  
  
"Heero!" Relena cried happily as she leaped out of the chair and ran to hug him. He pushed her aside impatiently and she glared at him indignantly. "What is going on?" She was momentarily distracted when Quatre walked into the room with the others. She flung her arms around him briefly before she turned back to Heero and posed her question again.  
  
"Dorothy, I need you to start up all the computers you have in this house," Heero told her, his voice leaving no doubt that he would injure anyone who got in his way.  
  
"Oh, are the g-boys back?" she purred.  
  
Heero had to restrain himself from striking the annoying woman before him. "Move your ass before I get angry," he snapped at her.  
  
"Heero!" Relena said impatiantly.  
  
"Relena, I don't have time for you right now so sit down and shut up!" Heero snapped as he rounded on her. His wife fell back a step from him in fright and he made a visible bid for his temper.  
  
"Relena, it's terrible," Hilde sobbed. All of the g-boys and Zechs followed Dorothy out of the room and down the hall quickly. None of them wanted to be around when Relena found out.  
  
"Do you think this room will work for you?" Dorothy asked as she led them into a room filled with computers. Duo's mouth dropped open involuntarily from shock.  
  
"Just what kind of place do you live in?" he asked as he looked around. There was exactly fifteen very high tech computers in the room.  
  
"Well, you're always doing one thing or another that involves hacking and usually you come to me so. When you explained to me what was happening I took the liberty of setting this room up for you. I hope its too your liking."  
  
"You knew this was going to happen?" Wufei bellowed at her.  
  
"No, but I knew something like it _could_ occur if you weren't careful, so I planned ahead," she snapped. "Besides, I've always wanted to open up an Internet Café."  
  
"You know, Hilde should just be getting around to telling Relena," Duo said offhandedly.  
  
Though the situation was serious, Wufei couldn't help himself. "Three. two. one."  
  
"_HEERO!_"  
  
***  
  
When Alex came to she noted that she was till tied to a chair and that it felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to her body. Which they very well could have, she reminded herself.  
  
As she took stock of all the damage they'd done to her she inwardly wept. Most of her ribs were bruised, if not broken, three fingers were broken, they'd knocked a tooth out of her mouth, her lip was split, black eyes, and one ankle was bent at a funny angle. She couldn't feel it but she knew that it was going to hurt like hell.  
  
"Wake her up," someone snapped. I'd dearly love to repay the favor, she thought as she received a hard slap.  
  
"I'm awake," she managed to mutter.  
  
"Then look at me when I'm speaking to you!" he shouted. She forced herself to raise her head and noted that it was the younger one.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Did you enjoy what the boys did to you?" he purred.  
  
"Absolutely. When does round two start?" she said sarcastically, pain coloring her voice.  
  
"If you cooperate there won't have to be a round two," he assured her. "Just tell me which little child is you and I'll let the others go."  
  
"I'll never tell you," Alex growled.  
  
"Would you sentence them all to death, little dove?"  
  
"Better death than living in a world of your making. I've seen what they're going to live through and I won't let it happen. Besides, if they die Heero, Trowa, Duo. even Wufei and Zechs will have nothing to live for but their work. Do you really think you'll be able to take over then?"  
  
"Do you really think that I care what they feel? I'll be able to take over no matter what when Heero is dead."  
  
Alex glared at him, scrutinizing him as she tried to hold onto consciousness. "Do you really think that Heero matters that much to the E- sun? You're wrong. He's just Relena's bodyguard. Everyone knows it. The rest of the Gundam pilots did just fine without him every time they thought he was dead. Why won't they do the same now?"  
  
"Because they all rely on him!" Brad shouted at her.  
  
"I don't think so. He's just a mean tempered, spiteful asshole that's way too head over heals in love with an idiot. They don't rely on him because they know that the ditzy blond means more to him than his life."  
  
"I don't think so," Brad said resolutely. "But we'll test your theory."  
  
"Which one?" Alex challenged.  
  
"Do you really think that you'll let the children die?"  
  
Alex scoffed at him but inside she was screaming. "I don't care a lick about those brats. Kill them if you want to. There's no guarantee that one of them is really me. How do you know I'm even born yet?"  
  
Something flickered behind her captor's eyes and she wondered if she hadn't made a big mistake. "Bring Duo's little brat in," Brad commanded and immediately it was done. One of the men roughly pushed the frightened child inside. Brad withdrew a gun from the waistband of his pants and aimed it at Danny's head. "Now what do you say?"  
  
"Shoot him," Alex told him cruelly. "See if I care. He doesn't mean anything in this little game. H's just a simple pawn."  
  
"As are you," he snapped back. "But even a pawn can checkmate the king." He cocked the gun and started putting pressure on the trigger. "You have three seconds. One."  
  
"Alex!" Danny screamed in terror. "Help me!"  
  
"Two."  
  
"HELP ME!" he begged her, his voice going shrill.  
  
"Three!" Brad yelled. Danny shut his eyes and flinched when the gun went off.  
  
"You see?" Alex taunted. "He meant nothing to the game and you knew it. He didn't have any stake in this game at all so I don't see why you bothered to bring him in here anyway." Inside Alex screamed and cried and cursed Brad for all she was worth. How could he even _think_ about hurting a child as innocent as Danny?  
  
"Take this trash out of here," Brad snapped at one of the guards as he kicked Danny in the side. Carefully he slipped the gun back into his pocket. "And do be sure its taken care of properly."  
  
"Yes sir," the guard said as he gathered the child up in his arms.  
  
"Don't get the wrong idea now, little dove," Brad told her. "The only reason I didn't shoot him is because I didn't want to get blood all over my nice clothes."  
  
"Yes, certainly," Alex agreed noncommittally. She didn't want to push him at all but she needed to keep him thinking that she was heartless. She knew he was insane, but she had to make sure she lived through this.  
  
"You know, I have a lot of time on my hands right now. Don't you think it'd be fun if we played a game?"  
  
"How about go fish?" she suggested and was rewarded with another slap. Angrily she spit the blood out of her mouth, right onto his shoe. "I'm really getting tired of that."  
  
"Really? I thought you liked it," he told her as he did it again. "Maybe if I beat some sense into you you'll just admit who you are!"  
  
"Sir, Chang Wufei and Zechs Marquise's children have just arrived," someone informed him.  
  
A slow smile crawled across the politician's face and Alex couldn't stop herself from shivering. There was no sanity in his eyes at all, nothing but cruel madness. He knew she was his captive, subject to his every whim. He didn't have to prove it to her. She already knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but there was still hope. There was always hope where her uncles were concerned.  
  
"Do you really want to see how long you can last before you break, little dove? Do you really want to see how long it will take before you beg for death? Before you beg for release from the pain?"  
  
"There hasn't been a day in the last four years of my life that I haven't longed to be embraced in strong arms and held lovingly there," Alex began.  
  
"Oh, I hadn't realized you loved me so much, sweetling."  
  
She glared at him and continued, "Held lovingly when I finally kiss the sweet angel of death."  
  
Brad froze and stared at her. "You'd rather die then live?"  
  
"I'm saying that I don't fear death. It holds no power over me. If I happen to die then so be it. It'd be one less person clogging up outer space."  
  
"And if I killed you now?" he demanded.  
  
"But you can't. You can't kill me before you're sure of exactly who I am. I know it as well as you do. I can't die, because if I die, then you die with me. They'll just forewarn me about you. You won't be able to move two steps before you get a bullet in the back of your head."  
  
"So why don't you just slip back into the time-stream now?"  
  
"Do you think I'm entirely stupid?" Alex spat. "I did pay attention when they explained how this worked. I know that one streaming device cancels another."  
  
"Then you _are_ smarter than I gave you credit for," Brad agreed as he walked forward towards her. Before she could blink he drew a knife from his back pocket opened it, pressing its blade against her throat hard enough that it tasted her blood. "But you are stupid to toy with me. What do you have to gain?"  
  
"Everything," she told him fearlessly.  
  
"But think about all you have to loose," he warned her.  
  
"A person who has nothing to live for, has nothing to loose," she retorted. The knife bit deeper but she refused to cry out in pain, knowing that was what he wanted.  
  
"We're playing for your life, sweetling."  
  
"And a person with nothing to loose, but everything to gain, will risk their life to obtain what they want."  
  
"God, you're impossible!" he shouted as he buried his hand in her hand and jerked her head backwards, exposing her neck more invitingly to him. "I could kill you right now!"  
  
"And it wouldn't matter," Alex reminded him.  
  
"Boss!"  
  
"What is it?!" Brad shouted as he turned to face his employee. "Can you not see that I am busy?!"  
  
"But boss, the little brat go away!"  
  
"He what?! Then go after him!"  
  
The man shifted uncomfortably on his feet, refusing to meet his boss's eye. "We did sir, but he gave us the slip."  
  
"Do you realize just what you might have done?!" Brad screamed, his voice loosing almost all of its masculinity.  
  
"I'm sorry sir, I really am!" the man tried to apologize. It was futile and he knew it as brad took the gun from his back pocket and shot him with it. Blood spattered over the walls, liberally drenching both of the occupants in the room.  
  
Alex screamed involuntarily as some of the blood got into her eyes. She blinked rapidly trying to clear it away, but it only made it worse. Her contacts became coated with it and became nearly useless. Brad rounded on her and she closed her eyes, lest he see.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetling. I hadn't realized that you disliked killing so much. You wouldn't have thought since you did take out five of my best people. But here, let me clean you up some." He sent someone after a bottle of clean water and a sponge. They returned quickly and Brad gently wiped the worst of the gore off of her face.  
  
"Now open your eyes, little dove, so I can take care of them too," he said gently.  
  
I can't let him know! I can't let him see! Never! He'll know exactly who I am! I can't let him see! Her mind screamed as she refused to open her eyes. Brad finally got tired of waiting and pried one open. His intake of breath signaled that he'd seen how the blood gathered around the outside of the contacts.  
  
"Contacts? How ingenious, I never would have thought to look," he told her as he poured some of the water over her eyes. As the blood washed away her vision became clearer again. "Why don't we look and see what color your eyes are under those?" He reached out and carefully took them out of her eyes, not wanting to blind her.  
  
Ha! Like her could blind me anyway. I don't have any sight as it is! she thought as she sat perfectly still. She could still see his face because of the way he was holding his hand open.  
  
"Blue eyes? Hmm. that narrows it down to three."  
  
"But retina is changed easily enough," Alex reminded him. Just because my eyes are blue doesn't mean that that was their original color."  
  
She saw his face go red in anger and he closed her hand into a fist, crushing her contacts. She let out a cry of dismay but cut it off immediately. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her too discomforted.  
  
"You may be correct, but you were very wrong to test me right now. I am not in the mood, sweetling. I know now that you are blind. Without these, I'm assuming that you can't see. I'm sorry if they were important to you, but you k now, the E-sun is very important to me also. Now you're going to suffer for interfering with me."  
  
"Oh, and how is that, Brad? Are you going to talk me to death?" She wasn't prepared when he took his knife and slit her wrist.  
  
"No, I think that you'll understand when you feel what I'm doing." He kissed her roughly before she felt him move away. She spit, trying to rid herself of some of her shame.  
  
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, little dove," Brad called to her from the door.  
  
"Really? Do you want to save me the trouble of killing you and just surrender now?"  
  
Brad just laughed at her, a cruel, evil laugh and said, "Break her legs."  
  
***  
  
"Heero, you've been at this computer for twelve hours straight. You need to rest," Quatre urged his friend as he peered over his shoulder. "Nothing is coming of this track anyway. It's just a dead end like all the others."  
  
"I don't care if I'm at this computer for twelve days, Quatre. My children are missing and I am going to find them!" he snapped as he continued typing.  
  
"Just what are you looking up anyway, Heero?" Zechs said, coming to peer over his shoulder. Hacking was _not_ his specialty so he was almost entirely useless.  
  
"I'm looking up any and all information on recent terrorist activities."  
  
"You broke into the Preventers main computer?!" Sally yelped, coming to look. She'd arrived a few hours after Wufei and hadn't slept, just like the rest of them. Sure enough, Heero was cruising though the Preventers mainframe. "You do realize that Lady Une is going to kill you?"  
  
"And make you redesign the system," Wufei muttered to himself.  
  
"I don't care. Duo, how's that damned phone coming?"  
  
"Still no good, Heero buddy," his friend told him angrily. "It's got better locks on it than your laptop and that's saying something. I haven't been able to find a way in at all!"  
  
"Is that what you've been working on?" Midii asked, her tone clearly conveying how stupid she thought he was. "You know maybe this is a little to simplistic, or maybe I'm just lazy, but did you ever think to call up the maker and see who the phone was sold do?"  
  
Everyone in the room stopped dead and stared at her. All of them had been so wrapped up in doing everything the way they used to that they'd totally forgotten to look for all of the _easy_ stuff. All of them had missed the serial number on the back of the phone. They hadn't believed that a terrorist would be stupid enough to use a traceable phone.  
  
"Well, it was just a suggestion," Midii said, breaking their paralysis. Everyone flew back to their computers and started working again. Wufei and Sally were both on the phone yelling at the phone company in seconds, demanding things done in regards to the Preventers.  
  
"Duo! Hilde!" Relena yelled from outside the door. Everyone in the room flinched and tried to block out her noise. She was a wonderful politician, but when it came to dangerous matters she was best left on the sidelines. She'd almost gotten _all_ of them killed too many times for them to risk letting her in on a mission like this one.  
  
"Duo! Hilde! Open up!" she yelled again, banging on the door.  
  
"Go away! Get us more coffee!" Duo called back irritably and he looked into his empty cup.  
  
"Daddy!" someone screamed from outside the door. Hilde and Duo were out of their chairs and running towards the door before the scream even died away. It was a wonder they didn't tear the door off its hinges in their haste to exit the room.  
  
"Danny!" Hilde screamed as she enveloped her son in her arms. She hugged and kissed him many times as tears streamed down her face. Duo wasn't much different as he clung to his son, who in turn clung to him. Finally Duo held Danny at arms length and surveyed him critically.  
  
Danny was a royal mess. Blood and gore clung to him and stank. His hair was disheveled from his attempted escape and dirt clung to him everywhere. He had a deep gouge in his forearm from the broken window, but overall he was unharmed.  
  
"Danny, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Duo demanded, not quite sure that he wasn't dreaming.  
  
"Watashiwa Shinigami," Danny cried as he buried his head in his father's shoulder. Duo's face froze into a mask of emotional pain as he held his son.  
  
"No, not you Danny," he whispered, trying to deny it even as he knew that it was true. He'd taught Danny how to shoot himself, not trusting anyone else to do a proper job. Only his son could have pulled off the shot between the eyes while he was running.  
  
"Duo, this has to wait until later," Zechs said gently, placing a comforting hand on the younger man's shoulder. "We need to find out what Danny knows."  
  
Duo nodded numbly and let go of his son. The others questioned him at some length as he and Hilde prayed that their other child was unharmed.  
  
***  
  
Alex tried not to cry but the pain was unbearable. She'd tried to prepare herself for the shock, but knowing intellectually that it was going to happen was one thing. Feeling her legs broken was another matter entirely. The second they'd brought the bat down she'd known that her façade of strength was gone. She'd screamed bloody murder, cursing them, their mothers, and their families. Then she'd told them to go and do some very anatomically impossible things. They'd only laughed at her.  
  
Now she lay on her floor of the room, completely helpless. They'd stripped her down to her undergarments either to humiliate her or to make absolutely certain that nothing diminished the pain. She didn't think anything could now. Her whole body was one throbbing ache and all she wanted to do was giver herself back over to the void but it was impossible. Any time she even came close to unconsciousness she was rudely awakened by a harsh slap.  
  
God, now I know why he said I'd beg for death, Alex reflected as she lay in her miserable heap on the floor. They'd untied her from the chair when they were done, knowing she wouldn't be able to escape.  
  
Death would be better than the pain. Nothing hurt in death. Death was forgiving. It was like a comforting blanket thrown over a child after they'd had a nightmare. It wouldn't be so bad to just go to sleep and not wake up, she thought but roughly jerked her mind away from that path. Her mission wasn't finished.  
  
"Little dove, are you ready for round three?" Brad asked her from the doorway. She whimpered pitifully and tried to scoot away from where she knew he'd be standing. "Now, now, you don't need to be frightened of me, sweetling. All you need to do to end the pain is tell me who you are."  
  
"My name is Alex," she whimpered. "Just. Alex." She felt the knife sear her skin with its cold metal kiss and flinched. He'd cut her deep on her upper arm.  
  
"Tell me who you are," he said again.  
  
"Alex." This time he stabbed her instead of just cutting her. The knife went home within her biceps and he twisted the knife as he drew it out, wringing a scream from her. Again and again he asked her, demanded to know who she was, but again and again she replied that her name was Alex.  
  
"You're really trying my patience!" he bellowed at her as he sank his knife into her thigh. Blood welled up beneath his hand and he wondered just how much more she could stand before she broke. "Just tell me and I'll end it!"  
  
"Yea though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for God is with me," she quoted, having long ago learned that passage from Duo.  
  
"Answer me!" Brad screamed again. This time the knife bit into her other wrist. It bit deep, deeper than he meant it to and he cursed himself for it. "What are you trying to prove?"  
  
"I will. never. let you hurt. E-sun." Alex whimpered, her blank eyes boring holes in him.  
  
"So you won't respond to the knife? Then we'll resort to other torture," he told her firmly. "Bring me a whip!"  
  
***  
  
"Heero, I've got the owner!" Sally called out an hour later. They'd had to work nonstop after Danny had arrived but it had still taken them much too long to find their evidence. The owner had done one hell of a job covering his trail after all.  
  
"Good. Is it Brad?"  
  
"Of course. Who else would it be?" Wufei snapped. Everyone in the room was tense with stress. All of them knew how badly things were deteriorating. Danny had given them a very good description of what Alex had looked like, but they'd been much less concerned when they'd heard what she'd said.  
  
"I'm gunna kill her myself," Duo kept muttering. "No one plays games with my child's life as the bet."  
  
"Danny," Trowa said softly, being the only one with a half-decent temper in the room. "Can you lead us back to where you escaped from? We need to go rescue your cousins and your sister."  
  
Danny nodded, fear making his movements jerky. "I think so."  
  
"Good," Trowa said, ruffling his nephew's hair. He'd been bathed by Relena and now looked much better.  
  
"Okay, so here's the plan-," Heero started to say.  
  
"Let me guess," Duo interrupted. "We go in, shoot everyone in sight, grab our kids, and get out?"  
  
"Pretty much, though we'd better kill as few people as possible. Shoot to wound, not to kill," Heero replied.  
  
"What about Alex?" Quatre asked sharply.  
  
"What about her?" Wufei scoffed. "She's the one who got us into this whole mess in the first place!"  
  
"She's nothing but trouble!" Duo agreed. "I'm going to kill her myself for what she's done." Most everyone murmured an agreement in varying degrees of intensity.  
  
"You most certainly will not!" Trowa snapped, causing everyone to look at him in shock.  
  
"That girl is the only reason all of you are still alive!" Quatre added, throwing his lot in with Trowa.  
  
"And she is the reason that Trowa left and the reason that our kids are in danger right now!" Hilde snapped at him.  
  
"Do you think she did thin intentionally? She loves them more than she loves her own life!" Trowa argued with her. "She'd do anything she could to keep them safe! You saw how many people she killed! She was trying to protect them!"  
  
"Protect herself you mean!" Noin shot back.  
  
"Noin, she is your niece!" he yelled. "She is Heero's daughter! If all of her deeds are to count against her, at least remember that!"  
  
"She is not my daughter," Heero said coldly.  
  
"Heero! Don't try to deny something that is so clear!" Quatre argued with him. "Alex loves you!"  
  
"If that is what you call love, then I want nothing of it. I washed my hands of her weeks ago."  
  
"She saved your life tonight!" he reminded his friend.  
  
"So? Why should that matter? She's just some worthless piece of trash that's off the street now."  
  
Trowa lost all of his patience with his friend. He didn't even think as he grabbed the front of his shirt and forced him back against a wall. His voice became low and deadly. "Don't you ever, _EVER_ say something like that about her again! Alex is a wonderful child! You don't know how much hell she's gone through for you! You haven't had to watch her every time she's come back from saving you and see how shaken she is! You haven't had to listen to her degrade herself because she didn't think she could live up to your expectations!  
  
"You didn't hear her crying her eyes out after all that you said to her tonight! You half killed her, Heero! She is not worthless! She is your daughter and she loves you! If you can't see that then you don't deserve her! If you won't care for her the way a _father_ should then I will! I actually think she could become someone everyone will be proud of, but you won't give her a chance! Everything she's done here has been for you!"  
  
"Trowa," Quatre said, placing a steadying hand on his friend's arm. Slowly Trowa let go of Heero and backed away. Everyone else in the room was stunned into silence. They never seen him angry enough to yell before and it was scary. It was almost as scary as Quatre high on the Z system, but not quite.  
  
"I think they're right, Heero," Zechs said from the chair he'd been sitting in. "That little girl does think you hung the stars in the sky. Think about everything she's ever said to you. Think about everything she _hasn't_ said."  
  
Heero stared at the three of them for a long drawn out moment before he shrugged them off and said, "Lets go."  
  
***  
  
Brad finally dropped the whip and surveyed his handiwork. Her back was a bloody mess and there was no doubt that it was going to be a mess of ugly scars if it ever healed. But he knew what he had to do. He needed his information quickly. The Preventers had already been caught trying to find out everything they could about him through the cell phone.  
  
"Why didn't they have the sense to take the damned thing with them?" Brat muttered to himself as he signaled to the guards to release his prisoner. Without them holding her up she collapsed into a sobbing heap on the floor.  
  
"Does it hurt?" he asked sarcastically as he kicked her in the side. She whimpered but didn't have the strength to move. "You need only tell me who you are and I'll end it," he reminded her.  
  
"Alex," she said again.  
  
"Your name isn't not _ALEX_!" Brad screamed as he jerked her off of the ground by her hair.  
  
"What's going on, mini-me?" the elder Brad asked as he walked into the room. Alex couldn't see but she could tell that he was displeased by the tone of his voice. "This is much more drastic than we originally discussed. You know I don't like hurting children."  
  
"But the Preventers are coming," the younger warned him as he let go of Alex's hair. She crumbled to the ground, clutching her hands to her chest.  
  
"Then maybe you do have the right of it. Carry on then," the elder said. Alex didn't want to know what else they had in store for her. She could hardly move already and it wasn't going to get any better. She was surprised that she was even still conscious. She'd taken more of a beating than four normal people could live through and was still awake, if not functioning.  
  
"Little dove, just tell me your name and I'll end it," he repeated, squatting down next to her. She took her opportunity, the only one she might get, and struck out at him. He hadn't noticed that he'd dropped his knife, but she had. She'd grabbed it up quickly and now she aimed for his throat.  
  
"No!" someone yelled and she felt her prey knocked out of her reach. Someone delivered a very harsh kick to her side and she curled up in a ball. She wasn't fast enough though, to avoid the shoe that stepped directly on her hand. She dropped the knife and tried to pull her hand back, but the person put all their weight on it, causing the bones to snap.  
  
Alex screamed as a new pain bloomed in her body. This time she did loose consciousness for one blessed moment, but then someone rudely poured water over her. "Don't you even think about doing that, little wench!" one of the Brad's said angrily.  
  
"Boss! Preventers!" someone yelled outside the door. Both of them cursed fluently in several different languages as they hurried to escape. Alex heard the door open and shut, only to open again a moment later after a gun fired.  
  
"Do you know what you have done?" the younger Brad demanded. "I'm dead now because of you! I'm dead and with me has gone the time streaming device!" Angrily he aimed a savage kick at her chest and struck. Alex cried out in pain but was too exhausted to move away from the attack.  
  
"Brad! Open up! We know you're in there!" A female voice said from outside the door.  
  
"I'll kill her!" Brad screamed and Alex heard him cock his gun. "I'll kill her if you come in here!"  
  
"Go ahead!" the voice replied steadily and Alex was able to place it as Sally's.  
  
Thank you so much, Aunt Sally, she thought as she gathered up her energy. She threw herself to one side and kicked Brad in the side of the knee with her left foot. He screamed and the gun went off as it flew from his hands. It was all Sally needed to come running into the room.  
  
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" Sally yelled.  
  
"Sally!" Alex cried softly. "The kids! Are they okay?"  
  
"They're perfectly fine, no thanks to you!" Sally snapped.  
  
"Gods, what about Danny? What happened to Danny? Is he okay? Please tell me he's okay!" she begged.  
  
"He's fine," Sally confirmed, her voice softening.  
  
"Thank god," Alex breathed as she closed her eyes, mostly out of habit. "I was so afraid for them. Gods, I was so afraid."  
  
"You were afraid for them?" Brad demanded, sanity gone from his voice. "You were afraid for them? I could have killed them? You would have told me your name?!" he shrieked.  
  
"Yes. I would rather have seen myself killed than let you hurt them, you monster!" Alex spat from the floor. "Sally! MOVE!" Alex screamed suddenly. She heard the sound of a body crumbling and knew she was too late. She hadn't heard the man behind Sally soon enough. "Sally!" she yelled, hoping for an answer but was not surprised when she didn't receive one.  
  
"Now you are going to tell me who you are before I kill this woman!" Brad told her.  
  
"I can't!" Alex sobbed. "I can't tell you!"  
  
"Then you sentence her to death!"  
  
"It is better that the elders die so that the new generation may live," Alex said brokenly as she waited for the gunshot. She'd heard him pick the gun up when Sally fell. She couldn't understand why he was waiting.  
  
"Brad Rajda," a painfully familiar voice said coldly.  
  
"Heero Yuy," Brad replied. "At last we meet on the battlefield.  
  
"You were right, Brad," Heero said. "There was a war coming. Our own personal war."  
  
"I never meant anything different," Brat taunted and Alex could almost see the smile on his face. She got a very good idea of where they were in the room because they were both circling each other warily.  
  
"Heero, is the older Brad dead?" she demanded through the fog that was beginning to overtake her.  
  
"Yes," her father replied curtly as he cocked his weapon.  
  
"There are only two of you in the room, right?" she questioned. Sounds were becoming muffled to her as gunshots rang out in the hall, mixing with the sound of screaming.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What are you planning?" Brad sneered at her as he passed her.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," Heero said. Then he cried out as he stumbled over Sally's prone body and landed on his butt on the floor, his gun spinning away from him. Brad crowed triumphantly and Alex felt fear course through her, holding her immobile, but only for a split second. She used up the last of her strength to pick up Brad's gun, launch herself off the floor to protect Heero, and fire. Brad fired at the same time. The bullet from the gun whizzed so close to her head that it actually clipped off a lock of her hair, but hers didn't miss. It went home, right between his eyes.  
  
Alex landed hard, not able to make her body obey her any longer. She didn't care. The pain was overwhelming. She'd never felt anything to its likeness and never wanted to again. The room retreated from her awareness and she felt herself floating. She was warm and safe, wrapped in strong arms of someone who loved her. Just as that person sought to kiss her she felt her body being shaken and was brought back into awareness.  
  
"Alex! Alex! Wake up!" Trowa yelled as he shook her.  
  
"Don't touch me," she whimpered. "Just kill me. Please, just kill me."  
  
"Alex!" Quatre gasped as he ran into the room. He saw her injuries and a rage boiled up within him. "I'll kill him."  
  
"He's already dead," Duo informed him. "She killed him. And she saved Heero's life."  
  
People, too many people, she thought as she sought to identify which one was her father. Everyone seemed to be talking at once, their voices muted the fog that was overtaking her again.  
  
"Heero," she whimpered. "Is he okay? Is daddy okay? Please, tell me he's not hurt," she begged as she clutched at someone's sleeve. "I can't see."  
  
"He's fine, damn it!" Zechs growled. "Thanks to you. Come one, we need to get her out of here," he said to the others.  
  
"Right," Heero said from somewhere.  
  
"Daddy?" Alex asked, tears coursing down her face. She tried to move but failed. She did notice that she was lying on the floor with her head propped up in someone's lap. "Daddy?" she whimpered again as she raised her hand above her head.  
  
"Alex, don't move," Trowa told her, trying to force her to be still but she didn't listen. She moved her hand to where she thought the person's face was.  
  
"Watch it," Duo warned.  
  
"It's fine," Heero said curtly as he reached out and took her hand, placing it against is face so she could tell who he was. "It's me, Alex."  
  
"Daddy," she sobbed as she clutched at his hand though she was so weak she had to lower hers back down to her side. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to make you mad. I just couldn't trust you. I didn't want to find out you weren't what you seemed to be. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you. All of you. I never wanted it to go this far. I just wanted you to be proud of me. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." Her voice grew softer with every word she uttered.  
  
"Alex!" he yelled, squeezing her hand. "Kira, hold on. Sally's coming around, she'll be able to help you. Hold on, Kira."  
  
"Angel," she whispered, her sightless eyes fixed on something she couldn't see. "Love you, daddy," she whispered before she sighed, letting go the fight. Her hand went limp and her chest stilled.  
  
"No!" Heero, Quatre, and Trowa cried at the same time.  
  
"Alex!" Jamal yelled as he came tearing into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. "No."  
  
Heero looked up at him, tears making trails in the dust on his face. He'd just realized how much he'd had to loose by denying who she was. Now he'd lost it. "She's dead."  
  
"No!" Jamal yelled, wising to deny it even as Sally labored to save her he knew it was hopeless. "NO!!!!!!!"  
  
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Dream Keeper: So, what do you think? Should I give you an epilogue? You've got to review and tell me! I do have a few loose ends to tie up, but if you don't want them.  
  
Christa: *evil laughter* We don't really care if you want the rest of it. No reviews, no ending. And believe us, the ending is tearful! You really do want it! Review! Review! REVIEW!!!!!!!!  
  
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	16. Epilogue

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Dream Keeper: Well folks, standard yada. I do not own Gundam Wing. *Sniffs* I wish I did but I don't. The G-boys and girls belong to their respectable owners. I am just using them for this twisted fic. I promise to return them, only slightly worse for the wear when we're through with them.  
  
Christa: Or at least we hope she will. You never know WHO she's gunna kill!  
  
Dream Keeper: Oh, shut up! I'll be nice. Well, for the most part. I don't think I'll kill anyone else now that Alex is dead. *evil laughter* Oh, did you actually think I was going to let her live? Nope! Not a chance!  
  
Christa: *chuckles* For once I agree with her. Alex needed to die so the story would have an ending. Anyway, read on. Enjoy!  
  
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Three Weeks Later  
  
The "sun" shone brightly on the colony but the two people standing in the graveyard thought the day would have been more fitting had it been raining. Both of them wore black, since they had just attended a funeral. Few others had bothered to show up, and none of them had stayed long. They'd all quickly professed that they had other, more pressing engagements and left. Now only the two men remained.  
  
"She saved us all, you know," Jamal said as he stared at the grave.  
  
"I know she did. I'm sorry I doubted her now. The last thing I ever said to her was so hateful. I was just so angry with her because of the way she played with Danny's life," Duo told him. He sounded remorseful, but not sad. He couldn't bring himself to morn her death.  
  
"I just wish she could have lived long enough to see what her father really is like," the younger man replied.  
  
"Speaking of fathers, what's going on with yours?" Duo asked gently.  
  
Jamal grimaced but didn't shirk the question. "He's in jail. If he's lucky he'll only get somewhere around fifty years in prison. If he's not, well. Life without parole is looking good to him right now, given his other choices."  
  
"And you're not upset?"  
  
Jamal looked up at the tree planted behind her grave, contemplating it as he answered. "No, I'm not sad at all. We were never close. I actually think he deserved what he got. He never should have gotten involved with drugs or manufacturing mobile suites. It was his own stupidity that led to his downfall."  
  
"Yeah," Duo agreed as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "So what's happening with you now?"  
  
"I'm just turned seventeen. I think they'll probably let me run the company as long as I have someone supervising me so I don't abuse my power. Miss Relena became queen at fifteen after all. Running a steel company is much less of a political matter than that. I don't think I'll have any problems."  
  
"That's good to hear."  
  
"You know, she knew about it."  
  
"What?" Duo queried, not comprehending for a moment.  
  
"She knew my father and his associates were going to be arrested that night and she got me out of the house. She told me to come see her. I was sitting right there when my father was yelling at her, and yet I did nothing. I was just so angry with her, with myself. The last think I said to her was also hateful."  
  
"Then we have something in common," Duo agreed.  
  
"How's Danny?" Jamal asked, knowing that he'd been having a hard time.  
  
Duo sighed and closed his eyes, wishing Ihe/I could go back in time and change the outcome of that night. "He's doing better. I won't say he's fine, because he never will be, but he's better. The first person you kill will always stay with you for the rest of your life. There's no way he can escape it. His nightmare will haunt him until he grows old, but he'll cope. It's all he can do."  
  
"Intellectually I understand, but I know I don't really. No one does until it happens to them. And then its too late," he replied as he looked at the older man. Duo had never looked like anything but a teenager before, but now he was starting to look a little older. It wasn't very noticeable, but now he had crows feet at the edges of his eyes and his eyes were more haunted than ever.  
  
"What do you say we go and see how Heero's doing? She was his daughter after all."  
  
"Yes," Jamal agreed. "I'm just sorry he had to loose her before he could get to know who she really was."  
  
"So am I," Duo said as he started walking down the hill towards his car.  
  
Jamal stayed behind a long moment, studying her grave. It wasn't very fancy. Nothing about the funeral had been. Just a plain wooden coffin with a small ceremony and a priest to say the burial words. No one had spoken for her, no one had cried. He even doubted that the priest remembered her name after he'd been paid.  
  
"Well, you've finally embraced the angel of death. I hope you're happy in his arms," he whispered as he lay a yellow rose down on her headstone. Then he brushed his fingers over the writing before he stood to leave, but before he did he cast one last glance over his shoulder at the gravestone. It was simplistic, just like the rest of the funeral. It held but one word: Alex.  
  
***  
  
Heero sat by her bedside and held her hand, praying that she would recover. Already it had been three weeks since the incident and she hadn't regained consciousness once. Her life still hung in the balance between life and death, and even Sally wasn't sure if she was going to live.  
  
"Come on, wake up," Heero pleaded for the thousandth time. He hadn't even gotten to know her and just as he realized how much he loved her, she'd been nearly ripped away from him.  
  
"Still here?" Trowa said as he walked into the room. "You really need to get some sleep. You're loosing weight. When she wakes up she won't be happy to see that."  
  
"How can you be so sure that she will wake up?" Heero asked sullenly, not bothering to take his eyes off of her.  
  
"Because she's a fighter. I've told you everything about those couple of weeks she lived with me," Trowa told him. "She'll wake up."  
  
"It's only through you that I really know who she is. You're the only reason I know how much of a fool I was. I never should have ignored her like that. If she dies, the last thing she'll remember about me is how I yelled at her, and everything hateful I said." he let his sentence trail off and made a bid for his emotions.  
  
"Yes, you were a fool, but that's not the last thing she heard you say. She heard you back there, in that room. She knows that you regret what you said. I think she's only waiting for something."  
  
"What?!" Heero demanded angrily. "What do you think she's waiting for? Is she waiting for me to say I was a fool? I've said it! Is she waiting for me to apologize? I've done that a hundred times over! I can't think of a single thing I haven't done. I've even prayed. I haven't done that since. I can't remember when the last time was." He waited for an answer for the longest time before he finally turned to look at his friend, but Trowa wasn't there.  
  
"I'm not surprised. Even Relena seems to want to leave me alone right now," he muttered to himself as he turned back to his daughter.  
  
"Daddy?" a tentative voice called from the door. Heero turned in his chair to look at his five year old daughter.  
  
"Yes, Kira?"  
  
"When are you going to come play with me? You promised you would," she begged him. "Please?"  
  
Heero felt torn between his duties. He wanted to be there if she woke up, but he also had his responsibilities to his youngest daughter. "Okay, Kira," he said finally. "I'll come play with you."  
  
~*~  
  
Hours later, after he'd spent the day with his family he went back to her room. As he sat down beside her bed he felt guilty for leaving her, but he knew he couldn't wait with her forever. Life goes on, even if you don't want it to. You have to go on with it, or be left behind.  
  
"God, please just wake up. I don't want you to die without actually getting to know me. I don't want you to think I was always like that," Heero whispered as he laid his head down on the hospital bed Sally had rigged for her. "I want you to know happiness. I want you to know what its like to have a family again."  
  
Slowly he let his barriers fall. He didn't think in regards to what wold happen to his reputation if someone found him. He needed release from his pain and he didn't know any other way to get it. For the first time in so many years Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldiers, cried.  
  
"Daddy?" Someone whispered weakly.  
  
"Kira, you should be in bed," Heero said gently, without raising his head. He didn't want his daughter seeing him in the state he was in.  
  
"Daddy?" she whispered again. This time Heero realized just who was speaking.  
  
"You're awake!" he cried, his head snapping up to look at her as he tightened his grip on her hand. She cried out in pain and he released it immediately, stammering apologies.  
  
"It's okay, daddy," she said, forcing herself to lift her hand to his face. "I'll be fine now."  
  
"Alex, I am so sorry. I never should have doubted you," he started to say but stopped when he saw her shake her head.  
  
"My name isn't Alex."  
  
"She's right you know," Jamal said from behind him, irony mixing with his happiness. "Her name isn't Alex. She died. We buried her today."  
  
"Good," she said. "Then I guess you can call me Nanashii."  
  
"I have a better idea," Duo said as he leaned on the doorframe. "Why don't we let Heero name you? He is your father after all. I'm going to go get Sally."  
  
"Angel," Heero said instantly. "Angel Alexandria Yuy."  
  
"Angel," she said, trying her new name out. "Yes. That will do. How are the kids?"  
  
"They're all fine," Sally said as she entered the room. "It's you everyone is worried about. Your uncle is in a right fit because of your condition."  
  
"Which one?" Angel retorted.  
  
"Zechs."  
  
"I'm always upsetting someone," Angel said gloomily. Then she gave herself over to tears. "Please, I don't care what it is, but give me something for the pain."  
  
"That's what I'm doing," Sally said as she held a cup to her nieces lips. Angel drank obediently and then settled back into a more comfortable position.  
  
"I'm amazed," she said through her tears. "It actually tasted good."  
  
Sally chuckled humorlessly as she said, "I figured you would like at least one perk to being so banged up."  
  
"Thank you, Aunt Sally."  
  
"It's you we should be thanking," her aunt replied. "I've got to get back to work right now, but I'm leaving the pain killers here with Heero. I've got my pager on if you need me. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Sally left and Alex turned her head towards where she'd last heard Jamal. Her eyes weren't open, but then again she couldn't use them so what was the point?  
  
"Are you okay? About your father, I mean," Alex asked, half-afraid of the answer.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine with it. I'm glad it happened. Duo's agreed to help me out with running the business. I'm actually most likely going to end up signing it over to him. I don't want it. I want to be a Preventer."  
  
"Just be careful," she said.  
  
"I will be careful," he promised as he walked over to her. "I have to be for you."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Quatre explained everything to me. I'm sorry I made you suffer like that."  
  
"I seem to be making a lot of people sorry suddenly," she tried to joke.  
  
"We deserve it."  
  
"Jamal, as much as I love talking to you, I need to be alone with Heero now, all right?" she asked.  
  
"Okay. Just get some rest and heal," he told her as he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead before walking from the room. Heero was too surprised to even summon a half-hearted death glare.  
  
"So everyone is really okay? Even you?" Angel pressed.  
  
"Yes, especially me. If you hadn't gotten him I would be dead right now."  
  
"He's dead? I killed him?"  
  
"Yes. You killed him," he confirmed. Much to his surprised tears started sliding down her face.  
  
"I don't ever want to hurt anyone ever again," she sobbed. "I'm tired of death, I'm tired of killing."  
  
"Then don't," Heero told her. "You don't have to anymore."  
  
"What's going to happen to me?" she asked fearfully. Heero's heart ached for her and guilt welled up inside of him at her pitiful tone and for once he forced himself to face it.  
  
"Relena and I have discussed it and we've decided that you're old enough to make your own choices. We won't decide what is happening with you. That is entirely up to you." Somehow he forced himself to keep his preferences from his voice.  
  
Angel sniffed and opened her sightless eyes to stare at him. "Make me a promise?"  
  
"Anything," he told her.  
  
"People wear masks, crying on the inside, laughing on the outside. I'm tired of wearing as mask, and I'm tired of being strong, daddy. Don't ever send me away again. Don't make me take care of myself or stand on my own two feet without any help until I'm ready to again," she begged.  
  
Heero carefully took her hand in his, making sure not to jar it because of her broken fingers and looked at her. Her face was a mess of bruises still, along with some other parts of her body. Her shot wounds were still visible, making him wince even to think about him. In all she had over fifteen broken bones and had lost a tooth. He knew that he was partially to blame for everything that had happened to her.  
  
"I'll never send you away," he promised her. "And if you can't be strong anymore, then I'll be strong for you. If you can't stand on your own anymore then I'll hold you up. That's what family's for, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," she agreed happily. "That's what family is for."  
  
~Fini~  
  
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Dream Keeper: Okay, I hope you liked the fic. It's truly done now. You don't get anything else. Please tell me if I spelled Fini right. I wasn't sure if it was that or something else.  
  
Christa: Did anyone guess that Angel was alive? She's started a new life now. She'll go on to work at the circus, Jamal really will sign the company over to Duo and become a Preventer and the two will get married. Heero and Angel make amends and the Yuy's become one big happy family.  
  
Dream Keeper: Blah. You know that Quatre and Cathy get married and so do Midii and Trowa. Yeah. Other than that, use your imaginations. Until the next fic, we bid the adieu.  
  
Christa: Love ya all! *glomps* I hope you know we wrote 115 pgs for you! Hope to see you reviewing some of our other fics. Have fun!  
  
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